10th December 2018
The Last Hurrah?
Before I start I need to mention a recent trip to Hartlepool when I saw very little worthy of mention and the day was rather wet and miserable. [26/11] So why mention it at all? Well, Tiggy occasionally gets a mention in my reports and I thought something that needed to be celebrated happened as I went over Graythorp Bridge travelling back towards Saltholme from Seaton Common... 200,000 miles at a rate of 26,064 [average] miles per year...
...and touch wood she's still ferrying me about the country.
Oh yes, I stopped on the bridge to record the moment!
December 10th: in and around Hartlepool
I started around the harbour and fish dock.
At first I could only find eiders - well into the fish dock area.
Soon saw guillemots and then various red-throated divers - at least 3 present in the outer harbour from the pilot pier.
Pals!
Rumours of a black-throated diver proved unfounded although a great northern diver just off the harbour showed nicely.
Returning to Tiggy, some herring gulls were on the Town Wall.
Hartlepool Headland had had snow buntings by the new houses beyond the old cemetery. I went up there to try my luck and admired the view of Steetley Pier in brilliant sunshine.
Guess what I found down on the beach! Sanderlings and oyks.
...and snow buntings!
Newburn Bridge was fairly quiet. The gulls were out at sea but there were lots of ringed plover on the rocks and a ringed oystercatcher on the coal-dust beach. Oh yes, and a turnstone.
I finished the day on Seaton Common. The owls were brief and distant. This kestrel was not bothered by my stealthy approach.
December 12th: an afternoon at Blacktoft Sands RSPB
It was a lovely but chilly afternoon although it clouded in later as the harriers began to show up. Nothing very close this time so just a couple of record shots of marsh harrier.
However [and a wonderful thrill for me] we were treated to a distant view of a grey male hen harrier over by what I've heard others refer to as the 'hag's cottage.' Otherwise pretty quiet: the only birds at Singleton were a few snipe, 13 shelduck, 2 redshank and a flyover blackwit. Here's one of the shelducks.
Nearly forgot: wren, tree sparrows and a little egret!
