The Barmston Beauty

I just can't resist a pretty gull - especially any kind of white gull, and, although I had already seen the Kumlien's gull at Barmston, I fancied sneaking back for another look. The opportunity came on Sunday when a ring-necked duck popped up on the pager at Tophill Low. The duck was eventually located on the far side of D reservoir along with several scaup. The hide was overflowing with helpful advice as there was an In-focus optics demonstration going on in there!

A quick call at the Visitor Centre produced a woodcock in the bottom of the hedge across from the bird feeders. I think I've seen a woodcock there in previous years too.

Time still remained to get to Barmston, so off I went.

Kumlien's/Iceland Gull By the time I had got the camera the bird was having a fly around, eventually landing back almost in the same place on the beach. I'm afraid there are a lot of pictures of this wonderful bird.

Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull

Time for an interval!

There were also other birds on the beach. I tried hard to get some nice pictures of the sanderlings.

Sanderling Sanderling They were busily checking every piece of mussel shell was cleaned of any nutriment.

Sanderling Sanderling Sanderling Sanderling

Sanderling Back to the gull.

Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Finally a few images to remind me that it's an easy life for me. I have a nice warm car and a nice warm home. I can leave the harshness of the natural world behind me. The sanderlings and the gulls have to brave the elements all day every day. And those elements are often bitterly cold, windy and unforgiving. Here's to the bravery of birds...

Sanderling Farewell to Barmston. For now at least.

Kumlien's/Iceland Gull Sanderling

Monday 4th February: back to Hartlepool

Not a nice day and not a particularly rewarding one. There was no sign of the slavonian grebe that I wanted better photos of. [I remember being told at school never to end a sentence with a preposition. As a teenager I felt better when I later read that Winston Churchill was criticised for the same misdemeanour. He responded thus: This is the kind of criticism up with which I will not put!]

Anyway the black-throated diver was still around in the main basin at Harlepool Marina.

Black-throated Diver There were plenty of mergansers about.

Red-breasted Merganser Supposedly there were 20+ snow buntings at Seaton Snook. I walked miles along the sands. The marram grass on the dunes was more interesting than the bird life [i.e. there wasn't any].

Marram Grass Don't be misled by the blue sky. It was cold, windy and I was being sand-blasted. No doubt the snow buntings had more sense than I!

Marram Grass Manipulated the image changes. Looks like the top  of someone's head, doesn't it!!

The sand was blowing over the rocks down by Seaton Snook. This picture has not been manipulated other than to sharpen the focus.

Sand storm Oh well, I'll go to Saltholme. I was told the owls don't show when it's windy as they go really deep into the scrub. Very sensible.

At Phil Stead hide there were signs of better things to come. A pair of teal were sticking close together.

Teal Teal A pair of mallard were out in the middle. I noticed both of them started to furiously bob their heads, quite fast and both at the same time. Then the female swam in front of the drake.

Mallards Spring is on the way.

136UK