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

Quiet at Margrove today. A few common gull on the pond in with the regular squabble of black-headed gulls, reed buntings up the track & a few redwing flitting about at the crossroads being the highlights. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lapwings on ice at Margrove today. Not a common bird here mid-winter & seeing them in the middle of the frozen pond is a first for me. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Choice birding at Skinningrove boat yard today. Black redstart, song thrush, stonechat, rock pipit, meadow pipit, pied wagtail & grey wagtail all in great light & all only a few metres away. Lovely stuff. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Worthy of its own post. The stunning black redstart at Skinningrove boat yard this afternoon. A joy watching it forage only a few metres away. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Black redstart still at Skinningrove boat yard 1pm. Showing beautifully. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to get the Margrove trio of white birds in the same photo this afternoon. Male mute thankfully appears fine after his recent scrape to the head. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Cattersty Gill midday. Richard's pipit still present though elusive - seen briefly just once & heard in flight. Quite a few meadow pipit around & a pair of stonechat, always nice to see. 30+ curlew in the surrounding fields. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Not often I see a gentle looking herring gull but this one sitting out the blizzards at Margrove certainly had a striking softness to it. Fluffed-out robin looking seasonal at car park. Male mute who suffered an injury yesterday looking okay & feeding. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to have a song thrush visit the garden today. Hawthorn proving popular - redwing, fieldfare & blackbird all visited past couple of weeks. Photo taken at a distance through kitchen window. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Shoveler in winter sunlight at Margrove this afternoon just before the clouds & snow arrived. A few common gull nice to see, as was a small flock of mistle thrush. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Margrove this aft. White-fronted goose (albifrons) still present & showing well, 'Polish' mute swan flying circuits - speed absolutely astonishing at close range, plus small flock of redwing & mistle thrush passing through, too quick for photos alas. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

White-fronted goose still at Margrove in with greylag this afternoon, plus distinctive BoP at Sleddale I'm not 100% about, presuming common buzzard due to sp. variability but happy to be corrected. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to have a fieldfare visit the garden this morning. Certainly stood out amongst the starling flock. Nice to have blue sky & bright light too, makes such a difference. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to find a white-fronted goose in with a dozen or so greylag on Margrove back pond this afternoon. Belly stripes and white blaze striking. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Quiet at Margrove lately, a few herring gulls & common gulls the highlights. Disheveled coal tit up by the crossroads - recent scrape with a predator perhaps? It appeared to be ok - flying & feeding well thankfully. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Redwing at Margrove just before the sun made a welcome appearance. Snipe & barn owl also at far bank. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A productive hour at Cattersty Gill 1pm. Red kite being hassled by corvids, Rock pipits, fly-over & diagnostic call from the Richard's pipit, small flock of meadow pipits, barn owls, fulmars & bullfinch. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A quick look at Cattersty Gill to see if the Richard's pipit is still about was an impossible task given then weather. Did see these potentials though (poss same bird) with right size, undulating flight & very noticeable white outer tail feathers. Shame it/they didn't call. @teesbirds.bsky.social

One of the 'Polish' mute swans that was born at Skelton Castle this year having a fly round its new home at Margrove, plus a dark eyed herring gull & one I'm not sure about - looks like herring but was very small, just a little bigger than a BHG. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Wondered why the garden was so quiet before noticing this beautiful sparrowhawk waiting for a chance to strike. Photo taken in poor light at a distance through kitchen window. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Dark winter storms together with bright sunlight giving superb contrast & colour with this collared dove near Loftus. Such a common bird these days, hard to believe the 1st UK record was only in 1952. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Very distant long-tailed duck & common scoter at Scaling Dam today, both nice to see inland - many thanks to the kind birders who gave great scope views of the LTD. Much closer cormorant showing well just as the sun made a welcome appearance. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to see one of the Margrove barn owls out & actively hunting this afternoon - hope it had success 🤞 Common gull on ice & having a yawn nice to see also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Lovely to see a brambling at Lockwood Beck today, feeding well along with siskin, marsh tit & goldfinch. Always a joy to see these winter visitors with their stunning plumage. Nice to see one out of the leaf-litter so as to fully appreciate it. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Thrilled to have seen the bluethroat at South Gare this afternoon. What a beautiful little bird. Amazingly fast scurrying through the scrub & grass more mouse-like than bird. Wishing it well on its travels. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Very much a record shot of the superb olive-backed pipit at South Gare this afternoon - gave better views than photo suggests. 4 x whooper swans fresh-in at Bran Sands plus dark-bellied brent goose & bar-tailed godwit nice to see also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Twilight at Lockwood Beck with a treecreeper & goldeneye showing well in what little light there was. Pink-stained herring gull at Margrove, plus barn owl also giving close fly-by's - no photo unfortunately. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social