Saltholme RSPB and Hartlepool

So today I decided to take a short break from my patch at Soil Hill and go on a little adventure to the North-East to see if I could put to bed the demons of Penduline Tit and green-winged teal. Being in Halifax the public transport options are more limited but in the end I only lost an hour from Sheffield and I arrived at Saltholme RSPB at around quarter to eleven.

Within minuets of getting off the bus I had eyes on the Penduline Tits. They were distant but the sun was out and in the light they looked really smart. They would be up feeding on the Bull-rushes for about 10 minuets before they would drop for another 10 and then repeat. They showed really well when they were up though, if a little distant. I tried to get some decent photos but the distance made it difficult, still I managed some nice record shots...

-Penduline Tits

I was thrilled to have got them on the list having dipped them on their first day. Given their pattern of showing I decided to move on after an hour of watching them. I headed into the reserve in the hope of finally seeing a green-winged teal. I can safely say now that green-winged teal is my bogey bird, as once again I did not see it. This is the fifth time I have dipped this species...

I did however see plenty of common teal, including a large group of males which were displaying, something I can't remember seeing before and was really nice to watch. I also saw the female Smew again and had year-ticks of Black-tailed Godwit. The Smew was badly against the light so I was unable to get any decent photos. There was a nice Little Egret from the wildlife watchpoint though which I grabbed a couple of photos of to compensate.

-Smew

-Little Egret

By half 2 I decided to call it time on my hunt for the teal, which was not reported all day, and get on with my day. I got the bus off the reserve at half 2 and headed up to Hartlepool. The next stop for me was Ward Jackson Park to have a look at Hartlepool's resident population of Ring-necked Parakeets. I have no shame in this, its a species I have not really had the chance to photograph and have hardly seen at all to be fair.

As soon as I arrived at the park I could hear some calling but it took a while to pin them down, and then again to find one that was in a suitable position for a photo. When I eventually got a few in a photogenic position thought they were very obliging, and I was able to get a few nice photos in the late afternoon light.

-Ring-necked Parakeet

There were not many other birds in the park, but there was a very tame Gadwall on the pond, that was willingly coming to bread with the mallards. I had to suspect its origin but could see nothing so would have to assume that it is a wild bird that has become familiar with people. Either way it meant I could get some nice shots of it...

-Gadwall

By four I had wrapped up in the park. I could have gone home then but decided to endure the long trek to the headland to see the Shore Larks again. It was some walk there and by the time I arrived I never wanted to walk again.

The larks took some finding but this time I was able to pick them up on the deck rather than flushing them as before. They were more distant this time and I did not try to get too close. The light was much better this time, and in the early evening they looked fantastic. I mean they are Shore Larks, so they look fantastic anyway but when the conditions are right they really look the business. 

-Shore Lark

By the time I left the larks the sun was well on its way to setting. What a fantastic days birding, with a lifer and a host of other goodies. And all by public transport. All very nice indeed.

Species List:

Traveling: Common Buzzard, Jay, Little Owl, Grey Partridge, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Collard Dove, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Skylark, Kestrel, Rook, Starling, Chaffinch, Jackdaw,

Saltholme RSPB: Penduline Tit, Smew, Blue Tit, Reed Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Wren, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Little Egret, Great-crested Grebe, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Redshank, Meadow Pipit, Coot, Little Grebe, Shoveler, Shelduck, Lapwing, Gadwall, Common Snipe, Curlew, Pintail, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Greylag Goose, Stock Dove, Barnacle Goose, Chaffinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull,

Ward Jackson Park: Magpie, Treecreeper, Gadwall, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Chaffinch, Ring-necked Parakeet, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull

Hartlepool Headland: Skylark, Shore Lark, Meadow Pipit, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, Sparrowhawk, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Magpie

Hartlepool and Saltholme RSPB

Finally I had a full day of freedom post exams and having weighed up my options during my revision breaks over the past month I knew where I really wanted to go. That was Hartlepool to see the goodies that were up round that way.

Upon arriving in Hartlepool I first made my way round to Jackson's Landing marina to see if the glaucous gull was there, but it was not. I did get a nice year-tick in the form of Red-breasted Mergansers which were feeding the harbor.

I then made my way round to the headland where I went looking for the Shore Larks. It was quite breezy so I first walked the sheltered area of the rough ground they had been favoring, but with no luck. It was at this point that I decided coming was a mistake and that it was going to be one of those days where nothing goes your way...

How wrong I was...

I decided to walk the rough ground systematically and on the far bank, most exposed, I flushed the three Shore Larks. I saw where they went down but they still took some work to locate. I managed to get a few birders onto them in the hour or more that I was watching them. I grabbed some digiscoped shots before trying my luck with my new camera. I'll let the photos do the talking, but I was buzzing.

-Shore Larks

I was intitially going to walk the headland looking for waders heading towards the fish quay for the Slavonian Grebe. I started by seawatching off where the larks were. There were a couple of other birders too but they had spread out looking for Snow Buntings. Whilst seawatching I had yearticks of Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Shag and Red-throated Diver. I was having a field day.

I heard a twittering near me and looked up from my scope to see a Snow Bunting fly past me and land with the Larks that were still feeding behind me. I could see the other birders so whistled them over.

-Snow Bunting

Whilst we were watching the bunting the news broke of a penduline tit at Saltholme. I told the other birds who offered me a lift there. I had turned down a couple of lifts earlier in the day but this news did mean that there was something else to consider for the day so I took them up on their offer.

First call was the fish quay where there were plenty of birds as well as a seal. The Slavonian Grebe took some finding but I eventually picked it up distantly fishing among the boats. There was also the earlier reported Great-northern Diver, another Red-throated Diver, a few Guillemots and Eiders. There were also a few Turnstone along the quay. It was quite a spot for an urban fish quay. 

-Slavonian Grebe

-Great-northern Diver

-Guillemot

-Turnstone

Having gained the full house at the Quay we headed down towards Saltholme. On the way we called of at a local spot for Mediterranean Gull, which duly obliged, chilling on the beach barely two meters away. We also called off at Seaton Snook Road to see if there were any shorties hunting the fields but there was not. However, there was a very obliging Stonechat.

-Mediterranean Gull

-Stonechat

At Saltholme we headed straight to the hide where the tits were meant to be, but it over an hour there I had no joy of a penduline tit nature. However, I had a great substitute when a Water Rail swam across the channel that was being watched. Its one of the best views I have ever had of this species, but it happened so quickly I got no photos. A Peregrine flew over too, and I got a yeartick of Stock Dove.

I got a tip off about the Long-eared Owl in Haverton Scrub so I headed that way and was kindly shown it by some local birders. It was quite the bird to see, sitting almost out in the open with its ears erect. What a view, the best I have ever had of this species, and that is saying something. What a beaut. I was able to grab plenty of photos.

-Long-eared Owl

After the owl I headed to Paddys Pond for the female Smew which has been at the reserve for a long time now. It showed only briefly, spending most of its time behind the island, but its still the first time I have ever seen a redhead Smew and another cracking species to add to my growing day list.

In addition to the Smew there was also a nice female Pintail and a few Barnacle Geese mingling with the canadas.

-Smew

I finished off at the main hide where I added Shoveler, Shelduck and Curlew to the yearlist. Sadly there was no sign of the green-winged teal that sometimes shows there but I was not particularly bothered given how awesome the day was.

So despite a slow start today turned into one of the best days birding I have ever had, ever, thats how good it was. What a day.

Species List:

Hartlepool: Shag, Shore Lark, Cormorant, Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Tit, Oystercatcher, Red-throated Diver, Herring Gull, Snow Bunting, Sanderling, Great-northern Diver, Guillemot, Eider, Slavonian Grebe, Mediterranean Gull, Turnstone, Curlew, Pink-footed Goose, Wigeon, Stonechat, Skylark, Starling, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, 

Saltholme RSPB: Little Egret, Stock Dove, Greenfinch, Common Teal, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Mallard, Peregrine, Canada Goose, Wigeon, Moorhen, Water Rail, Tufted Duck, Herring Gull, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Sparrowhawk, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Blackbird, Graylag Goose, Pochard, Pintail, Smew, Curlew, Shelduck, Shoveler, Fieldfare, Bullfinch, Barnacle Goose, Jackdaw, 

Pugneys CP

Last year I went to go see the Smew at Pugneys and recorded it as a lifer for around 1 min. Given that, and the fact that it would be a yeartick, and (Most importantly) its one of the most dapper and suarve birds on the British list, I decided to head over to Pugneys today to try and find it, and appreciate it with a bit of time unlike last time.

Not going to lie, it is a real pain to locate. After about 2 hours walking up and down the same 500 meter stretch of river I decided to try something new and go upstream of Pugneys, where I have never been. I did this for the first 200 meters the path did not follow the river. When it did join the river I found a small flock of Goldeneye. And then, into the scene but who should drift, the star of the show himself. I grabbed some shots to make up for last time before settling on him with my scope. I got fantastic views for about 5 mins before, for no reason, he took off upstream and I failed to relocate him again. Its obviously a very flighty bird. So here are the record shots of one of the finest birds on the British list.

-Smew

Whilst hunting Smew I got plenty of other nice things. Most notably was a Kingfisher that flew right past me, my first of the year and close enough to actually make out features as opposed to a blue blur. Wildfowl was plenty, mainly Goldeneye, Tufted Duck and Mallard but a couple of Goosander too as well as at least 3 Little Grebe.

Post seeing the smew I added Pink-Footed Goose to the day-list when a skein of around 200 went overhead. I heard them first but struggled to pick them up, though they then went right over my head, allowing me some good views. The only other significant thing was my first butterfly of the year, when a peacock came and landed near me whilst I was watching the Smew.

-Pink-Footed Geese

So that was the mornings work, one of the best birds in Britain and only my second time ever seeing one. What a glorious morning. I decided to head over to Anglers CP for the afternoon to finally go to the gull roost and see what that was all about.

Species List:

Pugneys CP: Cormorant, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Wren, Robin, Jay, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Mallard, Goldeneye, Teal, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Woodpigeon, Black-Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Kingfisher, Feral Pigeon, Common Gull, Moorhen, Coot, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Great Crested Grebe, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Kestrel, Canada Goose, Smew, Pink-Footed Goose, Goldfinch, Magpie, Reed Bunting, Peacock Butterfly

Pugney's CP to finally get a Smew! (Maybe)

My Smew record leaves a lot to be desired, so what made me decided to try for the Smew at Pugney's, a solid £12 in public transport fares is beyond me. Obviously though having never been there before I was keen to check out the site and see what was going down. It took me a solid 2.5 hours to get there, and no sooner did I arrive than did the heavens open.

  My internet research had found no information on where the Smew was located on the reserve, so I decided to check out the nature reserve section first, it seemed like the logical place to start. There was plenty of stuff on the pool, and the hide offered some degree of protection from the elements, though the hide had a tin roof, so the rain made quite a din.

  So here is my list of birds seen from the hide, the top 6 are year ticks this year:

-Common Teal

-Shoveler

-Pochard

-Redshank

-Goldeneye

-Kingfisher, brief view but still awesome to see

-Great Crested Grebe

-Mute Swan

-Mallard

-Coot

-Moorhen

-Black Headed Gull

-Common Gull

-Lesser-Black Backed Gull

-Long-Tailed Tit

-Bullfinch

-Lapwing

-Cormorant

-Birds on the Nature Reserve

  Sadly though no sign of Smew. After a good hour in the hide I decided to move on and see what else was about on the site. I decided to make my way round the main lake to get to the top lake to see if it was up there. The main lake was sparse on birdlife, but still had some good stuff

-Canada Geese

-Mallard

-Goosander

-Coot

-Tufted Duck

-Goldeneye

-Black Headed Gull

-Grey Heron

  Some good birds but by now I had all but given up on the Smew, making it my 5th Smew related dip in a row. I made it to the top pool in terrible conditions. There were plenty of birds here, including another year tick: Gadwall

-Gadwall

-Tufted Duck

-Grey Heron - Fishing

-Pochard

-Usual Suspects

  And that seemed to be that. However, all Smew hope was not lost, for though my research had been futile I had read somewhere that it was on the river, twitter or somewhere like that, so that was where I made my last stop, useful since it goes alongside the top pool. There were a few Goldeneye quite close on the river, so I took a few shots to fill out this rather wordy post

-Goldeneye

But then, under the bridge I spotted a small white bird in the water. Could it be or was it another Gull, I raised my bins, water on the lens made identification inconclusive. I got closer, raised the bins again, still only a white speck, but now seemed very hopeful, I got closer again and yes, there it was. A stunning drake Smew, finally setting the record straight.

I was able to get as stunning view through the scope and get a few record shots. I watched it for about 5 mins before decided to get a bit closer, nearer the road bridge. I got to the bridge but the bird had gone, and despite my best efforts I failed to re-locate it.

That left the sighting a tad bittersweet, A stunning bird, but I would rather have been able to watch it for longer and really appreciate its beauty, but it was not to be. I managed some record shots and got a stunning view through the scope, but my Smew tick will now forever be known as 'the five minuet Smew'!

-Stunning Drake Smew

Overall it was a really good day, and great to see the Smew, even if it was brief