You should have been here earlier!

Barry and I headed north again towards Hartlepool in search of black redstart, dusky warbler, western Bonelli's warbler. It was to be a slightly trying morning up on the Old Cemetery Road. We failed to find the blackstart or the dusky. An unknown fellow birder remarked: 'It says it's showing well but when you get there there's nothing there!'  So it was also with a reported lapland bunting.

At our second visit to the Putting Green on the Headland we did a little better and Barry connected wirth another lifer: the western Bonelli's warbler. My attempts to photograph the birds [there were probably 3] in 'the tree with lots of leaves' on the eastern boundary of the green were, I think, unsuccessful. Bearing in mind how quick and elusive the birds were, I'm quite pleased with a couple of the shots - even though I think they are of a chiffchaff, or even of 2 different chiffchaffs!!

Here they are.

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Just for comparison here's the Bonelli's from Borough Hall Gardens on 18th October.

Western Bonelli's Warbler

A walk along the Headland promenade produced a few more birds. I spotted this red admiral pausing to take in the warming sunshine.

Red Admiral

We dropped in to the car park at Newburn Bridge where there was a good selection of waders including purple sandpiper and lots of ringed plovers. Here's a youngster.

Ringed Plover

The long-staying mediterranean gull was soon picked out.

Mediterranean Gull

A drive along the North Gare access road produced some wildfowl and lots of curlew. This one looks well in black and white.

Curlew

Here's the original.

Curlew

Skinningrove was also devoid of talent but perhaps that was my mistake. The sunshine had left the shoreline and long shadows from the cliffs behind made the place unattractive: we should have come earlier and looked for the birds in the sunshine.