Moon set, moon rise

     Moon set January 1st, at home from our bedroom window

1st January 2026: Hartlepool area

I set off for Hartlepool slightly later than planned as I overslept!  First wader of the year was on grass by the playground at Port Clarence - a lone oystercatcher. Overall I had a good day's birding although the wind and freezing temperatures [especially on the Headland at Hartlepool] made it hard work finding the birds. 48 was my final total.

Here are some photos including quite a few common birds that photographers often overlook...

You may notice that the great white egret is not pin sharp. I have discovered that taking pictures from the car without switching the engine off defeats the motion arresters of my Canon lens and camera. Lesson learnt.

Sign at the Headland. Birds have been tampering...

I called at Ward Jackson park. No parakeets.

...and at Saltholme.

January 1st pussy willow and moon rise.

Moon rise at Saltholme

January 3rd: North Duffield

I decided to try to find some bean geese but I gave up the idea. It was very packed in the Geoff Smith hide and the geese were a long way off. I added pintail and goldeneye [female] to my list and then walked to the viewpoint from the other end of the busy car park. Redwing and fieldfare were feasting on hawthorn fruits. Whooper swans - a large number- were downstream some way off. 

January 4th: Blacktoft Sands

Very cold indeed. My hands were soon frozen - I don't like gloves. House sparrows spotted in Whitgift hedgerow. Marsh harriers at Marshland hide. Pinkfeet overhead.

Large number of pinkfeet flew over the reserve.

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A Christmas Message

Port Clarence playground, December 14th

This will be my last post of the year as I look forward to a more successful and bird-rich New Year. In the end I largely gave up birding this year for reasons which earlier in the year were down to my own health issues but from late summer onwards other things curtailed my trips out birdwatching. January 1st beckons and I look forward to the day as I will head, as is traditional, for Hartlepool, Saltholme and the Cleveland area.

However I had the opportunity to get out a week ago to try to catch up with the four waxwings at Port Clarence. There were just four or five birders present and the light was poor so I have boosted the light on the following shots - all taken on a very high ISO rating.

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Merry Christmas

and 

A Happy New Year

to you all!

Chris

Back in the Saddle Again!

By way of explanation, my wife and I have had a lot on personally in the last few months and now that I think everything is under control once more then the plan is to go birding as much as I am able during this key and often exciting time of year...

September 19th: an afternoon at Blacktoft

Not as many waders today but ruff, snipe, godwit, lapwings were present as well as this greenshank which, unlike the other waders, came really close.

Heading back to the car park I spotted this dragonfly resting on a gate. I have not been able to identify it - an immature I suspect.

Finally outside the toilet block I spotted a sign warning people that European hornets were living by the gents' doorway. They were quite active so I didn't go too close! They are not aggressive unless disturbed. I'd never seen one before.

September 20th: North Cave Wetlands

Arriving at Crosslands Hide [locked for some reason] I chatted with a birder I first met when spending an afternoon wandering round Scarborough harbour trying to locate a grebe of some kind - red necked possibly. I found it just outside the harbour and waved to him to come to where I was. Anyway on this occasion he endeavoured to help me see the little stint on the causeway of Crosslands Lake but distance and vegetation defeated me. I was advised to go to Dennis Wood hide for a closer and unobstructed view. Success.

It was a long way away!

Heading back to the car I was struck by the richness of the fruits on the trees. Hawthorn and crab apple in these views.

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