Lough almost totally frozen with only a tiny patch of free water, Wigeon 109, Mallard 27, Goldeneye 10, Tufted Duck 5, Comm Gull 128. 3 Ravens arrived at 11.10hrs and were still strutting about on the ice when I left at 11.25hrs. Interestingly no Teal present despite good numbers over past few weeks and only 1 Canada Goose, freezing conditions no doubt the reason.

Good birding all

SJ Hingston

Walked from home in steady snowfall this morning, at least five Gadwall, several Goldeneye and a drake Goosander in the south bays. A single Treecreeper at the feeders at the entrance to Woodhorn Museum though no sign of the reported Marsh & Willow Tit. (Red Squirrel present)

A Tilmouth

A flock of 14 Waxwings , 8 Tree Sparrows and a Peregrine just north of the Woodhorn Windmill at midday which livened up a very dull Winter thrush survey.  Also a large pale ‘Buzzard like’ predator seen from behind heading south at Woodhorn briefly before disappearing from view.  Another one that got away…

C Hampton

A look at Killingworth lake this morning showed 127 Mute Swans and the single Whooper still with them. Goldeneye were calling and displaying ,24 counted. 100 + Tufted Duck and 21 Pochard with a lone drake Gooseander and 3 Little Grebes. A Meadow Pipit flew over.  At St Marys, 2 Black throated Divers were found on the sea to the north, and 3 Velvet Scoter flew north. On the wetland, a good high tide roost of 60 Snipe and 270 Redshanks noted.  A single Barnacle Goose still at Tynemouth boating lake-extremely tame!  At Swallow Pond,3 Short eared Owls noted, 12 Crossbills and a Jay were in the woods.  8 Fulmars on the cliffs at Cullercoats.

AS Jack

A second-winter Iceland Gull was watched at N Shields Fish Quay for 15 minutes in the afternoon.

Dan Turner

Tundra Bean Goose – 1 with several hundred Pink-foot in fields near obelisk.

Also present: Goldeneye – 2 pairs, Buzzard-1, Lapwing – 250 plus with 30-35 Golden Plover.
G-S Wood, Tree Sparrow-4 with Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tit on feeders.

Paul Buskin

Yesterday, a run up the coast in bright,sunny conditions, starting at Newbiggin where 5 Med Gulls showed well on the beach. 1 first winter bird and 4 adults. Up to Snab Point south of cresswell, and the fields were busy with feeding waders including Lapwings, Golden Plover, Curlews and Redshanks,Turnstones and 19 Ringed Plover. On the rocks 82 Oystercatchers were roosting and a Red throated Diver flew south.

At Cresswell Pond, the board noted that the Jack snipe was seen on the 5th,but not today.Around a thousand Pink Feet were feeding north of the causeway,very close to the road ,attracting a succession of car-borne photographers. The female Long tailed duck remained but no sign of the male. 23 Dunlin fed along the west shore.

A pair of Stonechats noted in the grass and reeds s.e. of the pond. 3 Kestrels noted ,all on telegraph poles. At the farm,5 Yellowhammers and 15 Tree Sparrows seen.

Up to Bells Farm dunes where 46 Twite circled in a tight flock before landing to search for seeds . At the north end of the Druridge road a huge flock of Pink Feet were grazing, estimated at over 3,000, covering 3 fields! From the Budge screen duck seen included Pintail,Gadwall,Shoveler,Teal and Wigeon.

On down to Woodhorn,where 2 Greenland Whitefronted Geese fed among the Grey Lags next to the road/ Church Pool. Both Marsh and Willow Tit with Bullfinches ,Coal Tits ,Treecreeper and Siskin seen at the old colliery ,as were 3 rarities- Red Squirrels!

A 1 hour visit to Howden Wetland produced the following highlights.  1 Jack Snipe, 1 Snipe, 2 Brambling in feeding station (male & female) and Siskin.

P Stewart

St Marys – a good selection of waders, 250 Lapwing ,165 Sanderling, 120 each of Dunlin and Redshank, 5 Purple Sands, 2 Bar tailed Godwits, 118 Oystercatchers, 96 Curlew and 6 Knot, 51 Turnstones. Also 8 Rock Pipits and a Grey Wagtail noted. At one time a Sparrowhawk put all of these into the air creating quite a sight.  On the pool were 26 Teal and 5 Gadwall.

A Jack

Continuing with more ‘on foot’ birding I walked from Pegswood to Hebron and back this morning crossing the Wansbeck at Whorral Bank and Bothal Sawmill respectively. Highlights were 4 Golden Plover in fields west of PegswoodFire Station, then a quiet spell until I reached the turnip fields just north of Hepscott where 6 Stock Dove were disturbed by turnip-picking operations. A flock of c.100 Linnets also in the same area. nearer Hepscott village 3 Tree Sparrows were in the hedge at the first cottage.

A little east 26 Fieldfares filled a bare tree top at Healeywood Farm. On the road home I finally found where all the local Yellowhammers are hiding, in a sunflower strip just south of Whitefield Farm with 25 counted.

A Tilmouth

Saturday saw a run up to Hauxley in the hope that the sun would break through, New Year it might be but the BBC weather forecast remains as incorrect as ever when they claim it will be good weather !!

Walking in from Hadston a group of flycatching birds near the Ponteland hide turned out to be 15 Waxwing which soon flew over towards the visitor centre when mobbed by 3 Magpies.  2 Little Grebe and a Moorhen the only birds on view as even the normally resident Goose flock seem to have abandoned the site (they appear to be taking on the grazing challenge at Druridge Pools).  On round to Tern hide turned up the first Shelduck and Tree Sparrow’s of the year and a lone Bar tailed Godwit.

On down to Cresswell and numbers were better highlights being a Red breasted Merganser, 2 Long tailed Duck along with a single male Pintail asleep on the smaller pond.  A stop off at the north end car park was necessary while leaving to watch a Short eared Owl hunting and 4 Stonechat were visible at the same time in the same area.

Sunday morning started at Tynemouth Boating Lake where the single lone Barnacle Goose was still in residence, shunning the offer of bread from the locals and not looking particularly well.

On up to St Mary’s Island for just after High Tide and a good scattering of 20 Purple Sandpipers were amongst the plentiful Turnstone, Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Golden Plover with a lone preening Knot over on the isalnd a good spot amongst the Redshank.  As the tide retreated the Sanderling flock grew past 30 with Ringed Plover flying in as well.

Killingworth Lake was next and a ringed Whooper Swan had arrived since the 5th and stood amongst the Mutes finally showing off its ring after 20 minutes (ZY4495).  3 male Goosanders on the lake and good numbers of Goldeneye and Pochard as well.

With light failing (12.30 !) Gosforth Park was the final stop and a Bittern was seen twice in flight with a couple of Gadwall also on the lake.

Chris Barlow

Not my sightings but whilst working today the following were reported by visiting birders from the Borders:

Little Egret 1 at the causeway.
Twite c.50 in area.
Merlin 1 over Fenham Flats.

Alan Tilmouth

Happy new year all.  Thought we would start 2013 at East Chevington.  Excellent decision as one of first birds seen this year was a Bittern flying 20 feet over car as we came in on entrance track. It flew over the viewpoint heading towards S pool. When we parked Janet as always was quicker out of the car and had two Bitterns in flight in the same area. A possibility of 3 birds but probably more likely the same two that have been seen since November. North Pool also proved fruitful as the redhead Smew was at the far north end with the Long-tailed Duck plus the Slavonian Grebe near the islands.

On to  Cresswell Pond and excellent close views of the drake Long-tailed Duck with the female also present still.  Little else of note apart from male & 3 female Red-breasted Mergansers. The Pinkfeet flock was viewable at East Chevington & between Cresswell and Druridge with approximately 1500 present.

Quick sea watch from Snab Point with only one Guillemot & a Red-throated Diver.  Then stopped at the old windmill at Woodhorn and views of the adult Greenland White-fronted Goose with a few Greylag seen from the gate. On to Newbiggin and a rather sad lunch at a cafe where the mince appeared to be mostly thick gravy. At Church Point the tide was coming in and a fine collection of waders with 20 Grey Plover, two Purple Sandpiper & 120 Dunlin amongst other common species. At least four adult Meditteranean Gulls on beach.Stopped at QE II CP with only four Pochard of note (numbers drastically declined in recent years). Finally Bothal Pond was very quiet with a quick search through the Canada Goose flock not revealing anything untoward.

TR&J Dean