Rainton Meadows

 A drive to Rainton Meadows for the Temminck’s Stint which is a lifer for me. And if that wasn’t enough a Wood Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover showed very well just outside the hide. All in all a canny morning out.

A lifer for me Temminck’s Stint.

Wood Sandpiper.

Little Ringed Plover with four eggs.

It was replaced on the nest by its mate and landed right outside the hide.

Male Shoveler.

Male Shelduck.

A pair of Oystercatcher with four chicks.

Casper beaten by a nose

I went up to Amble yesterday to get some shots of the Caspian Gull that has been around for some time now. The gull showed really well but the absolute stars of the show were, for me, the pod of Bottlenose Dolphins that were catching fish in the harbour. There must have been around a dozen, and I managed loads of shots of fins and water. I did manage some shots however but not great shots.
Before I got to Amble, I called in at Creswell and Druridge Pools. The water levels at Cresswell seem canny for waders and indeed, there were a few around. Of note, there were Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Avocet and Little Egret. At Druridge, a Wood Sandpiper showed well if a little distance. The Stonechats at both sites were, as always, nice to see.

Bottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

A comparison between Caspian and Herring Gulls

Caspian Gull

 

Caspian Gull

Caspian Gull protecting its lunch from juv Herring Gull

Lunch time

 


Eating lunch

Little Egret

Little Egret

Great Black-backed Gull

Stonechat (juv M)

Stonechat (juv M)

Stonechat (juv F)

Snipe

Turnstone

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Juv Eider with Starfish

A Ruff trying to ruff up a Dunlin (sorry could not resist)