8 x whooper swans at Margrove this afternoon. Usually the mute swans see them straight off, but with the mutes currently being elsewhere the whoopers have settled to rest & feed. Fabulous to see & hear them. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A small number of white & pied wagtails were the highlight at Margrove on an otherwise very quiet day. Lone wigeon still present. Rock pipit at Saltburn nice to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice common buzzard action over the moors, raven, kestrel & red kite also seen. Small flock of fresh meadow pipits with lovely warm plumage feeding in grassland. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Everything very distant at Margrove today but some nice birds about - common sandpiper, 2 x grey wagtail, several teal, and a wigeon being the highlights. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Second day in a row both swans at Margrove missing. If anyone has any info re their whereabouts could you please get in touch. Female unringed. Male is ringed XY1506. Many thanks. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Teal at Margrove today. They tend to stay distant so this one only a few metres away was lovely to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Chaos at Scaling Dam when a small dark unidentified BoP flew through & lifted every bird going, including the greater black-backed gulls & great white egret. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A pair of common snipe were showing well at Margrove today. Good dragonfly action too with several common darter & several migrant hawkers hunting the main path & proving difficult to photograph. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Wheatear & skylark nice to see whilst waiting for the wryneck at South Gare this morning. Reed bunting & dunnock in nice light at Margrove on way home. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Only photo I could manage of the wryneck at South Gare this morning, but thankfully was blessed with superb, albeit brief binocular views. A bird I've wanted to see for many years. Huge thanks to Martyn for his kind help & excellent spotting skills. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Distant juv common tern at Tees Barrage today. Gave some superb up-close flight views but it was far too nimble for my camera panning skills. Nice to see and excellent to watch. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Couldn't pick out the lesser white-fronted goose amongst the hundreds of sleeping greylags at Bowesfield marsh this aft, but this pair of godwits more than made up for it. Thinking juv black-tailed but happy to be corrected. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Mute swan at Margrove. This is the male, complex in character and somewhat temperamental. King of the pond for sure. Truly a magnificent bird. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Quiet on patch today. Highlights were little egret at Scaling Dam, plus distant snipe in upright posture, and common gull at Margrove. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Knots landing at Scaling Dam this afternoon. 4 birds circled a couple of times before coming to rest at the far side. Distant but nice to see - a 1st for me at that location. Thanks to the kind birder who saw them coming in & pointed them out. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Chiffchaff galore at Margrove, plus a juv blackcap which was nice to see albeit briefly. Berries adding some welcome colour to photographs. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Perfect light and barely a breeze made for some beautiful reflections at Margrove today. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Plenty of chiffchaff around Margrove today including this beautifully marked olive green individual (no song heard unfortunately). Reed bunting, robin, blue tit & coal tit all showing well as were marsh tit & dunnock. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lots of chiffchaff remaining at Margrove, plus a small flock of meadow pipits passing through. Little ringed plover pottering about & crouching heron looking quite BoP-like from a distance. Not sure if there are any fish left but here's hoping 🤞 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Sunlit snipe in between the much needed rain showers today at Margrove. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to see a coal tit at Margrove today. Chiffchaffs galore including quite a few singing birds, plus a distant little ringed plover & two common gulls nice to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Marsh tit & chiffchaff showing well at Margrove today, plus one I'm not too sure about - recently fledged chiffchaff perhaps? Common gull nice to see also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

More yellow feet, only on a bird that's meant to have them this time - little egret showing well outside the hide at Scaling Dam today. Great white egret coming in to land at the far bank nice to see also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Marsh tits at Margrove today. At least 5 birds present - possibly more which was good to see. Reed bunting, chaffinch, dunnock, blue tit, great tit, & robin also present. Welcome greeting from the swans. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lots of chiffchaff and a few willow warbler at Margrove this afternoon, including one noticeable bird with bright yellow feet (1st 2 photos). Mainly contact calls heard, but a few birds actually singing - lovely to hear in late August. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Good BoP action on the moors in-between the most welcome rain storms today, with 8 x red kite + 2 buzzard in one location & a further 2 red kite & buzzard 100m further up the road. 200+ passing hirundines also superb to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A rather showy female mandarin duck at Margrove this evening. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Little ringed plover at Margrove puddle this afternoon. Several snipe showing well along with a few teal. Roll on the rain Wednesday 🤞🌧 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Scaling Dam pm. Great white egret at far bank. Juv ringed plover, redshank, & common sandpiper feeding close to the hide. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

White-tailed eagle briefly at Sleddale this afternoon, soon lost to sight as it soared high and away. Excellent initial views though thankfully. 2 x red kite also in attendance. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Pretty much a summary of Margrove this past week all in one photo. Mallard, snipe, herring gull, moorhen, black-headed gull, & grey heron. Only sp. missing are coot, pied wagtail and teal, all of which were close by. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to see common sandpiper & great white egret at Scaling Dam this afternoon, plus an unusual looking gull at Margrove on way home - not sure if regular herring gull or something else, but markings very beautiful. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Highlights at a cold & breezy Margrove. 3 x common snipe, 4+ chiffchaff, 2 x common buzzard, plus what I'm pretty sure was a herring gull up with the buzzards - light making the wings look unusual. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

4 x ringed plover at a much fresher Margrove today. Snipe also showing well, plus more wagtails passing through and a superb tinkling charm of goldfinch. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lots of wagtails passing through Margrove the past couple of days, including one white and a few juv. Meditating heron and sedge warbler nice to see. Count of 17 grey heron on far bank yesterday. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Ridiculously close views of the pectoral sandpiper at Margrove this afternoon - almost within touching distance. Wasn't going to post any more photos of it but after today's encounter I couldn't resist - doubt I'll ever get as close to one again. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Ruff & pectoral sandpiper showing well again at Margrove late this afternoon, though increasingly distant as the water level continues to drop at an alarming rate. A few nights of heavy rainfall would be most welcome. Distant water rail nice to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Pectoral sandpiper, ruff, and greenshank all showing beautifully at Margrove this afternoon. Black-tailed godwit also present but tucked away sleeping near the far bank. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Pectoral sandpiper at Margrove this aft. Thrilled to get such close clear views of one. Ruff still present along with LRP. It's been a good couple of weeks at Margrove with some superb sp. dropping in - mud flats easily visible from the air no doubt. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Been some nice birds at Margrove this past week, low water & increased mud bringing in waders. Double dunlin & little ringed plover a few days back, black-tailed godwit yesterday, & today a ruff which flew in & landed right next to me. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to find Eutolmus rufibarbis, otherwise known as the 'golden-tabbed robberfly', near Goathland yesterday. Common in East Anglia but nationally scarce. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Dunlin still showing well at Margrove along with a LBBG which appears to have issues around the eyes - parasites perhaps? Lone sunflower in the adjacent field, no doubt an escapee from bird seed. Grasshopper warbler reeling up the road towards Boosbeck. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Run rabbit run! White-tailed eagle on the hunt at Farndale this afternoon (the rabbit got away btw and lived to see another day). @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

White-tailed eagle at Farndale this afternoon. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Along with the six red kites it was nice watching this imm. kestrel learning the ropes on the moors today along with a few linnet. Kestrel was feisty - taking on the kites a number of times in some fabulous aerobatics. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice half hour on the moors this afternoon watching 6 red kites doing their thing. Such beautiful birds - could happily watch them all day. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Good birding at Margrove today with the previously posted Egyptian geese, a dunlin & little ringed plover showing beautifully. Hirundine numbers up - swallows gathering & feeding young, plus a striking imm. herring gull with nice beak patterning. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Two Egyptian geese at Margrove this afternoon - a nice surprise. A first for that location perhaps? @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Little ringed plover showing well at Margrove, also distant green sandpiper feeding at the far bank. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

After yesterday's remarkable count of 18 common sandpiper at Margrove, at least 6 still present this afternoon, joined now by a little ringed plover. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social