Life's just a blur...hmmm

4th June: Saltholme & Greatham Creek

I had problems that day with the camera and I still don't quite know why. Heat haze may have been a factor or I had nudged a setting accidentally and the focussing distances were wrong. I don't know. The following day I did test shots after checking everything over and all seemed fine. Great white egret at Saltholme. Greatham Creek was quiet. A rather stunted marsh orchid and a posing skylark.

Any birds with vulnerable young had better watch out...

7th June: Blyth estuary, then Dorman's pool

An early start to head north to Blyth to the confluence of the Rivers Blyth and Sleek Burn. A group of waders were favouring the mud where the two streams meet. Ringed plovers, dunlins, a little stint and the red-necked stint all seen. Best viewed from the north side but I didn't fancy the 35 minute each way walk so opted to scope the birds from the riverside path on the south side - as did the overwhelming majority of the other birders present. 

Also present were a large number of goosanders [over 40 seen] including these few near where I was watching the stint. Eiders with a creche of young: the males slept!

Purple heron also seen at Dorman's Pool on my way home but I was watching the bird in my bins and wasn't quick enough to get a photo before the bird vanished back into the reedbed. This lesser black-backed gull looked hungry!

9th June: Blacktoft Sands and Alkborough

Nesting avocets at Marshland

Reed bunting

Little grebe

Whitethroat

Excerpts from a food pass - although I was never quite sure who was passing it to who...

Shovelers. The mighty bill!

128 UK 2021