Wheatear. Warkworth Old Water saltmarsh today. Bang on time - I usually get one here in the last week of March (6 out of the last 8 years). Always a good day when you see your first Wheatear for the year. #NEbirding

My first Avocet of the year and it is a repeat customer. Right hand taken on Mar 28th 2023. Left side today. Photos taken in exactly the same spot on Warkworth Old Water Gut. If my memory is correct, a very old Cresswell bird from 2011? Amazing! #NEbirding

Water Pipits at Buston Links Marsh. These (prob 3 birds) have been about for a while but today in the sunshine, two came out for a feed in the open. Super zoom camera at super zoom distance but I got a couple of passable images. #NEbirding

Three Tundra Bean Geese. Still present in the fields in between Amble and Warkworth. Seen from Gloster Hill. I presume these are the same as were present a few weeks back. #NEbirding

Goose fest continues at High Hauxley. This was one of the Tundra Beans today. Sharing a field with c40 White fronts and 1500 Pink feet. Took a while to find it mind. #NEbirding

Buston Links (Alnmouth)- Water Pipits have not been easy. I think there are still 3. This 1 popped up today briefly but for once the camera was on and pointing in the right direction. Nice rusty rump patch, big white wing bars, clean white outer tail and pale underneath. #NEbirding Opinions welcome!

So many Tundra Bean Geese about at the moment. Went on a goose chase to get it on the 5km patch list for the year. WhatsApp led me to 4 at Warkworth and 6 at Hauxley. Along with 20 White fronts at Hauxley/Warkworth/Amble Links. Photo is of 2 of the Warkworth group and a White front.

Caspian Gull on the Coquet Estuary today. #NEbirding

Glaucous Gull - Warkworth Beach this morning. Presumably the juv that has been loafing about Druridge Bay, Snab and Newbiggin over the last few weeks. Good of it to venture a bit further north and onto the 5km patch. #NEbirding

Siberian Chiffchaff - Warkworth Beach Car Park - prob same bird as a few days ago. But this time it was calling !! And a bit easier to get some photos. #NEbirding

Not sure these photos show the paleness of this bird. Siberian Chiffchaff (??) at Warkworth Beach Car Park this afternoon. Very pale and monochrome but unfortunately it refused to call. Opinions welcome. #NEbirding

Yellow Browed Warblers have been hard to come by in Northumberland this year. Delighted to find this one at Warkworth Beach Car Park. this morning- calling it's wee head off - which is always a help in finding them. #NEbirding

Hauxley NR - Buston Links hybrids?? I think the bill on these isn't quite right for Shoveler and there is a little hint of Blue winged Teal ?? I presume these are two of the offspring from the female BWT x Shoveler and male Shoveler from a bit further up the coast. ??? #NEbirding Comments welcome.

Another day, another Caspian Gull. Amble Links Beach this morning. 3cy/4cy ?? Don't see one for ages and then... #NEbirding Yesterday's 1cy was also still present making it my first ever 2 Casp day.

After a couple of "is it or isn't it" birds this week. Finally, I got a Caspian Gull that I was happy with. Amble Links Beach this afternoon. A double gull day with the YLG this morning. Apart from PKCS, this is my first patch Casp this year (and it has not been through lack of trying)! #NEbirding

A couple of pics of the adult Yellow Legged Gull at Warkworth Weir this morning. My good year on patch continues - another new one for the year list. #NEbirding Even on a dull wet day the legs were glowing!

Wagtail Research! - Amble Links Beach today. This one looks like a White Wagtail to me. #markaeaton.bsky.social This was the most obvious of 20 wagtails with 2 others maybe Whites but probably not. (That was a good way to spend an afternoon!)

Always exciting finding a small wader. Juv Little Stint at Hauxley Beach this afternoon. My first of the year and one I missed on the patch last year. Another good one to get. #NEbirding

Black Tern at Birling Carrs. (Cheers Neil for the WhatsApp). A bit of local knowledge and my hunch that it would move a little further down the coast on the rising tide proved correct. A difficult one to get on the 5km patch - only my second in 7 years! #NEbirding

This set the pulse racing today. I know it is an escapee, the transmitter wire is clearly visible, but it still knocks you off balance when you first see it! Saker or Gyr or hybrid ??? Boulmer this morning. #NEbirding

Help needed please? Seaton Point, Boulmer today. ???? #NEbirding. And please don't say its an Eider! The other one!

Gull season has started. A good gathering on Buston Links Beach this morning. I think this is an Lesser Black Back of Scandinavian origin (probably intermedius). Seems dark enough on the back to me and a shade darker than the LBBG next door. #NEbirding

Not many birds about today but two colour-flagged Redshank. CTN at Low Hauxley - (from the Wash Wader Group) and the returning bird to Coquet Estuary, back for a 4th year (originally ringed on the Humber). #NEbirding Two in one day!

Green and Wood Sandpipers at Buston Links Marsh today. (ID : If it flies off never to be seen again = Green, if it poses for photos = Wood). Good to get Green Sandpiper on the 5km year list even if it remained out of sight for the camera. #NEbirding

Buston Links Teal - 3 months on and this is what she now looks like. Seems to have got a bit greyer ??? The bill still looks big but looking more BWT ??. I thought I had this case closed as a hybrid (BWT x Shoveler) but today's views have put my head back a fuzz. #NEbirding #birdhybrids

Caspian Gull - Amble's famous visitor seems to have returned early to the harbour. I presume this is "PKCS" but it has returned with only one leg! (The colour ring leg is missing!) 'Casper' was first seen in the harbour in July 2013 as a 3rd year, and has been seen every year since. #NEbirding

Today, the Buston Links Teal brought her babies out for a family photo. Ducklings already developing a big beak and white loral spot. Be interesting to see how they develop further. #NEbirding #birdhybrids Presumably (BWT x Shoveler) x Shoveler hybrids.

Buston Links - The female Blue winged Teal x Shoveler hybrid reappeared today with five-eight, week old, presumably (BWT x Shoveler) x Shoveler hybrid ducklings. Coming to a duckpond near you!!!! She is keeping the chicks well hidden but a couple did make it onto the photos. #NEbirding #Birdhybrids

Another striking Stonechat #markaeaton.bsky.social This one has been at Buston Links, paired up and successfully breeding. Bright and with a clear white rump. More continental than average but I suspect within variation for hibernans.

Wood Sandpiper at the recently created Buston Links Marsh today. A good one to get on the 5km patch year list. #NEbirding

Photo is of the Buston Links Teal. I found this video of Blue winged Teal x Northern Shoveler hybrid ebird.org/species/x00629 Top Video 3. A bird from Toronto in 2022. The similarities are remarkable. Never totally happy with ID as Cinnamon or BWT. FWIW I am now thinking hybrid. #NEbirding ????

The Druridge Bay American Wigeon eventually did the right thing and moved a couple of km north to Hauxley and onto the 5km patch list. #NEbirding. The redhead Smew is still hanging on at Hauxley reserve also - a rare May record.

Egyptian Goose keeping an eye open protecting a little one. For the second year running, a pair of Egyptian Geese have produced a young one at Warkworth Weir. Last year, the chick didn't survive long so let's hope for better in the next few weeks. #NEbirding

Still winter in Northumberland today! Report of a Smew at Hauxley and I had to go for a look. Full on, 5km patch tick after several in the 10km area over the years. And most unexpected in May. #NEbirding

Back to the "Buston Links" Duck this morning and a bit of research. The russet tones, dark forehead spot, lack of dark eyeline, attenuated back end, diffuse loral spot and heavy spatulate bill to my eyes are pointing toward Cinnamon Teal. (So that's a first for Britain then)! #NEbirding

Every so often I come across a bird that just doesn't look right to me. Today, it was a Shoveler duck that was hanging about with a male (and then chased by three other males). Is it just me or does this look strange for a female Shoveler?? The bill just doesn't look right. Every day a learning day!

Spotted Redshank at Druridge Pools this morning was new for the year. #nebirding The American Wigeon at East Chev was still there. Scaup was at Ladyburn Lake and later on East Chev north pool. Feeling like spring at last!

Snow Bunting at Birling Carrs, (Warkworth) this morning. Flew in from the south, stopped for a brief wash in the burn and then continued on its way north. #NEBirding. As is often with this species, unconcerned by my presence just a few metres away.

A new one for me! Black Swans with the small group of Whooper and Mutes at Buston Links, Alnmouth. Not one I was expecting this morning. #NEbirding. The new conservation area at Buston Links is looking fab. Thanks to the agency involved for making me another good looking wetland area on my patch!

A morning of seconds. The Glaucous Gull was still in the area in Amble Harbour. The Tundra Bean Goose was still in the pinkie flock in the Hauxley area. But the White fronted Goose in the same flock was a new one for the year. #NEbirding

Glaucous Gull on the Coquet Estuary this morning. #NEbirding A few large gulls around at the moment on these easterly winds.

It is not often I look at Geese but a large flock was close to the road at Hauxley this morning and scope-able from the car without disturbing them. And Bingo! - what looks suspiciously like a Tundra Bean Goose - a new self-found for me. (No.281) and a 5km patch tick as well. #NEbirding Good day!

The Ring Necked Duck was back at Ladyburn Lake at Druridge Bay Country Park today. It hasn't been reported for a while and so I expect it has been touring the lakes around the wider area. #NEbirding

White billed Diver - Druridge Bay Country Park. I expect there will be some stunning photos given how close it approached. Since all my other sightings of this species have been half way to Denmark, I just had to go and have a look. #NEbirding Wow!

That's it - 187 for the 5km patch year. Best finds - Sibe Stonechat, Pec Sand, Hawfinch, RNG, Glauc Gull, 2 YL Gull and an Icky that got away but prob was one! Plus Bridled Tern, LG and RB Shrike, Crane and Sabs Gull. All within 5km of the house. What a patch! HNY to all - ready to go again in 2025.

Finally, a Twite on my patch! Hauxley Beach today. That's 187 this year for my 5km patch, making it the best year to date. And maybe still time to squeeze another one out before the end of the year? "All I want for Christmas is Smew" - (and Waxwing, Slav, Iceland Gull and Grey H Lapwing)! #NEbirding

Glaucous Gull at Amble Links today. #NEbirding.

Amateur hour at the Coquet Estuary. I thought Caspian Gull but moving from scope to camera, not sure I snapped the correct bird. They all took off with one making a "quacking" call and I got this flight shot. But they look two completely different birds! #NEbirding Made a bit of a mess of it! ???

Little Auk at Warkworth Weir. Having been away for a few days, I have missed all the recent Little Auk fun. So relieved to see three going North at Hauxley for the year patch list, this morning. But, I didn't expect to see this one feeding at the Weir, 1km-ish up the Estuary. #NEbirding

White fronted Goose still at Buston Links (Alnmouth) today. (5 - 2 ads 3 juvs.) Another good one for the patch 5km year list (just inside the boundary). #NEbirding