Bluethroat reported today halfway along the old railway track/walk between Margrove & Slapewath (Fox & Hound). Lady who saw it not a birder but did thankfully have Merlin app which confirmed through song. Worth a look tomorrow methinks. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lesser black-backed gull at Margrove this afternoon. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Linnet, ringed plover, and new oystercatchers in the making helped brighten a quiet, dull and overcast Scaling Dam this afternoon. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A decent hour at Scaling Dam today. Greenshank, common sandpiper, redshank, LRP, common buzzard, red kite, & the unusual chiff warbler (posted earlier) near hide. Cuckoo & merlin on back moor. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Interesting bird at Scaling Dam this afternoon. Unsure if Iberian chiffchaff or Chiff/Willow warbler hybrid. Song very distinctive. Sings twice in video, clearest at 12 second mark. Couple of photos too below. Thoughts most welcome. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Ringed plover & little ringed plover at Scaling Dam this afternoon, plus common sandpiper nice to watch bobbing about. Also yesterday two pipits I'm not sure if meadow or tree - flank streaks look tree but bill looks more meadow? @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Some nice viewing at Scaling Dam this afternoon. Dunlin, willow warbler, tree sparrow with nest material, and song thrush all close to the hide. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Mandarin duck in exquisite light at Margrove. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Wren in classic pose and common lizard basking near Danby this afternoon. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Had some nice visitors to my garden near Loftus today. Tree sparrows, greenfinch & chiffchaff - all superb to watch from the comfort of home. Also a very unexpected grey heron which landed on next door's shed to check out his koi carp 🤔 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Scaling dam pm, feeders providing much of the action with 6 tree sparrow, 2 long-tailed tit, robin & chaffinch all showing well. Also a brief visit from a meadow pipit, & common sandpiper nice to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Drake mandarin putting on a fine show again at Margrove this afternoon. Colour iridescence in the sunshine simply astonishing. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Stunning drake Mandarin duck on the flooded back field at Margrove this afternoon. Very confiding bird - sat quietly in the grass for half an hour & eventually he wandered really close. Plumage simply astonishing. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

The long-staying scaup at Scaling Dam came nice & close to the hide this afternoon giving chance to fully appreciate its plumage - adult feathers very much coming through. Then home to a cracking new garden tick with a pair of tree sparrows! @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

LBBG pair & iridescent tufty at Margrove in nice light this afternoon. Barn owl made distant fleeting appearance - always a joy to see no matter how short the sighting. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Glorious at Margrove today though quiet bird-wise. Common gull, a pair of tufties, and a shoveler duck being the highlights. Chiffchaff heard but not seen. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common buzzard and a cracking yellowhammer pair at North Skelton manure heap today. Skylark & chiffchaff heard but not seen. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Double trouble at Margrove with this pair of smart looking lesser black-backed gulls. Reliable spring visitors there every year, though last year was unusual in only 1 bird being present. Good to see two again, however the ducks will no doubt disagree. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Reed bunting, shoveler duck, gadwall (pair), & song thrush in full song just as twilight descends at Margrove today. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common gull and barn owl at Margrove this afternoon. Looks like the owl had just finished a substantial meal. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common buzzard x 5 & red kite at Sleddale today, plus mistle thrush rattling away at Commondale. Nice to see the BoP's enjoying the Spring thermals. No idea what the strange white circle on the buzzard's upper wing is though - wasn't on lens. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Tufted duck coming unusually close & showing iridescence at Margrove today, plus a nice dark-eyed gull - Caspian perhaps? @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common buzzard & red-legged partridge at Sleddale today, plus Slavonian grebe and courting jackdaws at Scaling Dam. Good numbers of oystercatcher, lapwing & goosander at Scaling also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

White-tailed eagle over Birk Brow heading towards Commondale at 3.20pm. Awesome to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

4 lapwing in usual breeding field at Margrove along with 4 teal, plus 7 interesting looking wader types flew through, too fast & distant to ID - caught 2 in photo (just), any thoughts welcome. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Quiet at Margrove, highlights being a drake shoveler and a female goldeneye keeping close together. Goldeneye not hugely common at Margrove - more often found at Lockwood Beck or Scaling Dam, so all the more nice to see it. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Eurasian wigeon brightening up a dull & bitterly cold Margrove today. Female pochard still present though distant. Surrounding fields full of mobile greylag and canada geese. 'Polish' mute swan on back pond. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Rook doing a territorial bowing, cawing & fanning display on my chimney this afternoon. Fabulous to watch at close range. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to see six barnacle geese at Margrove this afternoon, not a common bird there at all so all the more special. Female pochard still on site in with a decent number of tufties, plus three shovelers present. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Female pochard with an Orion's belt of raindrops at Margrove today. Lapwing also back on breeding ground - 1st of the season & nice to see. Nuthatch at Kildale, & a very unexpected moorhen in my mother's garden at Guisborough. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Couple of nice gulls on Margrove today, noticeable difference in beak size and shape. Always hoping for a Caspian & these two held promise at first sight but pretty sure they're regular herring. Happy to be corrected though. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Shades of green at Lockwood Beck today with greenfinch and siskin both active at the feeders. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice birding at Scaling Dam today. 12 x White-fronted geese, Slavonian grebe, & a very distinctive wigeon showing American traits - thoughts on this bird would be welcomed and appreciated. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Quiet at Margrove today other than one of the barn owls out hunting - always a treat to see, & a superb herring gull posing beautifully before the fog & drizzle came in. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Tundra bean geese x 2 at Scaling Dam this afternoon. Many thanks to the birders who kindly pointed them out and offered excellent scope views. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Unusual to see a juv greater black-backed gull at Margrove yesterday - quite a rarity at that location. Absolute unit of a bird. More usual cast present today inc. 3 x wigeon & a very photogenic dunnock. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Willow tit at Scaling Dam today. Two birds present - nice to see both on the feeding table together though missed the photo. Here's hoping it's a breeding pair & they raise a successful brood this year 🤞 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Single brambling in with large chaffinch & goldfinch flock at Lockwood Beck today. Tricky to initially pick out, though once seen relatively easy to track with its stunning plumage. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

An absolutely stunning leucistic house sparrow in the garden today. Looks astonishing in flight - thought it was something exotic when it first flew in. Poor photos taken at distance through rain-lashed windows. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Willow tit feeding & showing well at Scaling Dam today, possibly 2 birds present. Nice to catch up with Mark & Adrian on a mission to photograph it. Possible rough-legged buzzard coming in near Boulby, wish I had better views but it was gone in seconds. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Kestrel braving the howling wind at Lockwood Beck today. Excellent numbers of siskin, goldfinch and chaffinch at the hide feeders, though no brambling alas. Ever-reliable treecreeper doing its thing - always a joy to watch. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Blackbird doing a fairly good impression of a young ring ouzel at Margrove today. Close views showed not quite scaly enough & eye-ring clinched the ID. Had me for a few moments on initial sighting though. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lockwood Beck pm. Mistle thrush, plus redwing by the score in the paddock field, female goosander fishing, and a cracking pair of redpoll up by the top bench. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Willow tit & greenfinch at Scaling Dam feeders today - fabulous to see both sp. Good numbers of red-legged partridge along Grinkle Lane, & a superb rook on chimney at Easington. That beak! @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Redwing galore at Scaling Dam & Lockwood Beck this afternoon. Always a joy to watch these striking winter thrushes pottering about. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Rook having a good go at the garden feeders this afternoon. Explains why I keep finding suet balls on the lawn, much to the delight of the ground feeding birds. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Didn't expect to see this walking across the living room floor mid-January. A queen common wasp woke early from hibernation. I've got her safe & cool with a little food & water ready to put her somewhere sheltered once it thaws out. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Very quiet at Margrove in bitterly cold gale-force winds as demonstrated by the juv herring gull that literally had its feet blown from under it. Nicely streaked sub-adult herring gull & common gull also in attendance. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

'Polish' mute swan coming in to land (skid) showing pale legs & feet well at Margrove today. Ducks en-mass hungry & thoroughly enjoying a feed. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Superb garden birdwatch today, highlight being a very unexpected flyover of four ravens, all cronking as they flew. Fabulous sight & sound. Fieldfare, redwing & song thrush making a welcome appearance also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social