Brobbey cost them €20m (@ £17M) we paid over £100m for Wissa and Woltemade.

A real treat to have a Slavonian Grebe just 15 minutes from home today. It wasn't showing when I arrived but soon appeared, drifting into the middle of the reservoir, spooked by dog walkers who weren't supposed to be in there 😡 it stayed distant but gave very nice scope views. #NEBirding

Impressive count of 62 Whooper Swans at Whittle Dene today and unusually they were on the smallest (Western) reservoir affording an opportunity for some decent pictures. First Chiffchaffs calling and Dippers displaying on Whittle Burn made for a fine Spring afternoon. #NEBirding

The Red-necked grebe at Bolam stayed in the middle of the lake so was always quite distant but still gave nice scope views. Also disappeared into the reeds for long spells. #NEBirding

Bit late to the party but it was a bonny day for a run up to the coast. The White-billed Diver at Blyth didn't disappoint. Kept its distance on the far side of the harbour most the time but gave us one very nice close approach. Hope it stays until its summer plumage comes in 👍 #NEbirding

Whittle Dene 2day. The 50+ White Fronts & 2 Tundra Bean Geese present until Weds were gone, replaced by 20 Whooper Swans. The 2 Taigas & Bean Goose spec were present at lunchtime but seemed to have gone by late afternoon. Maybe the end of their near 4 month stay? #NEBirding

Delighted to finally get GWEgret at Whittle Dene this afternoon. Long overdue & dipped many times. Flew from South over Welton Village and continued due North. 5 Bean Geese still with the goose flock on the Northern Reservoir albeit mostly out of view. 55+ RWF Geese still. #NEBirding

2 Taiga Bean Goose + Bean Goose spec. back Whittle Dene today (1st sighting for 8 days when previously on Ouston Moor) also 2 Tundra Bean Goose (1st sighting for 9 days) with flock of 58+ Russian White Fronts #NEBirding

The winter goose influx at Whittle Dene continued today with 2 Tundra Bean Goose this afternoon with the Greylags. Great find by S Rippon. The 2 Taigas and Bean Goose spec. were still on Ouston Moor but now very distant. No White Fronts seen today. #NEBirding

3 Bean Geese still at Whittle Dene (Ouston Moor), for the last few days they've been noticeably less confiding and not associating with the large mixed goose flock. The large flock still held at least 2 White-fronts in the fields East of the hide though very distant. #NEBirding

Visibility was down to about 30 metres at Whittle Dene today. The attached picture giving some idea of the murky conditions. We counted an impressive 23 White-fronts on Ouston Moor though there could have been more. the 3 bean geese also still present. #NEBirding

The now 4 White-fronted Geese at a very dreich and chilly Ouston Moor this afternoon. The Bean Geese were still present but very distant. #NEBirding

The 3 very bonny White-Fronts enjoying the Golden Hour sunshine at Whittle Dene this afternoon. #NEBirding

2 Taigas joined by 1 Tundra Bean Goose at Whittle Dene this afternoon. 2 RWF Geese still. all geese flew North @ 2pm per S Rippon. #NEBirding

3 Russian White-fronted Geese in the same field as the 3 Taiga Bean Geese at Whittle Dene this lunchtime, viewable from the hide on Northern reservoir. Per S. Rippon. #NEBirding

4 Egyptian Geese (possibly the returning Spring birds?) at Whittle Dene this morning in splendid sunshine. A single Twite was a nice bonus as they're really scarce on site. Sadly no sign of the the Taiga Bean Geese for over week now though. #NEBirding

2x Taiga Bean Goose at Whittle Dene yesterday (3rd). Sadly no sign among the Greylags today. Hopefully they didn't contract Avian Flu. First site record for this species and a patch & county tick for me 👍 #NEBirding

6 weeks since I contacted Northumbria Water & DEFRA about bird flu at Whittle Dene and signs have finally gone up. 1st large flock of Pinkies arrived late afternoon (43) and half of them landed in the infected flock so in a few days I'll be counting dead Pink Feet. So depressing #NEBirding

Very pleasant run up to Musselburgh today for lifer Marsh Sandpiper today with nice supporting cast of 8x Curlew Sand, Wood Sand, Little Stint, Greenshank, and Ruff. Unfortunately dipped the Icterine Warbler at Barns Ness but managed Redstart & Pied Flycatcher.

Despite the depressing sight of the geese and gull corpses piling up due to avian flu at Whittle Dene, there's been a few nice autumn visitors this week with osprey, greenshank, wheatear and ruff & reeve #NEBirding

Finally got to see North Tyneside's star attraction this afternoon. It was lazing on a Sunday afternoon. #NEBirding

Get in!!! Without doubt the latest I've ever ticked Osprey at Whittle Dene but worth the wait. One was spotted by Steve Rippon this afternoon but I got this one at 20.30. Showed really but no fishing attempts. Was being mobbed constantly by swallows. And relax... #NEBirding

3 singing Quail at Whittle Dene this afternoon per Steve Rippon, however the day really picked up when we found 2 juvenile Cuckoos!! Really nice views if a little distant. Only my 2 & 3 on the site so I'm owa the the moon 👍👍 #NEBirding

Dipped the Caspian Tern at East Chev by 10 minutes at 4pm this afternoon so went straight to Widdy Moor, Drurridge the Cresswell with no luck. Went back to Chev and waited 2 hours then the beast returned!! Long-awaited county tick 👍✔️🍾 #NEBirding

Juvenile Scaup at Whittle Dene this afternoon was an unexpected year tick and my first on site for 3 years. Challenging light made photos tricky 👍 #NEBirding

Osprey at Whittle Dene this morning at 10am per Steve Rippon. He had one on the Northern Res and then again on the Western Res, thinks they may have been 2 different birds. I still haven't had 🙄 @nebirding

Was delighted to find Spotted Flycatcher at Whittle Dene this week as we didn't record one last year. A bird that's becoming very scarce in the Tyne Valley, I picked one up briefly on Monday and then we found 2 Friday 👍👍 #NEbirding

This is worse than the Steaua v Barcelona final 😴

Didn't see Little Owl at all last year so was delighted that one was back around the farm this lunchtime. Also very happy that Common Tern 7.93 has returned for its 5th year in a row 👍 #NEbirding

A few more from Sicily 2/2

Sicily was a bit disappointing on the birds front. I'd expected a lot of spring migrants and lots of raptors. It turned out to be very quiet on both fronts despite its location and the excellent variety of habitats. Most of the reserves were empty but had bags of potential. 1/2

Sicilian bar snacks are on another level, the lager is Tenants! Go fuckin’ figure!! Searching for Apollonia #hwtl #nufc

First Yellow Wagtail at Whittle Dene this afternoon. Stunning male popped up onto a fence post about 20ft away POS P900 simply refused to focus on the huge yellow object in the middle so you'll have to use your imagination 😡 #NEBirding

Huge influx of common migrants at Whittle Dene today. Lovely to hear Willow Warbler and Blackcap singing everywhere in the sunshine. The 18 Whooper Swans have relocated to the fields to the North but the Egyptian Geese were showing very nicely from the hide 👍

No finer sight from the kitchen window.

RIP to Val Kilmer. One of my favourite performances by anyone in any film was his Doc Holiday in Tombstone 💔

the 4 long staying whoopers at Whittle Dene moved from the Southern fields to the Southern Reservoir yesterday. Today they were on the Northern res. with 7 others which were already there 8 Egyptians still present. Bird(s) of the 2 2 Shelduck on the Southern, a rare bird here. #NEBirding

History lads #NUFC #nufcparade

OUR CAPTAIN #NUFC

the 8 Egyptian Geese have now been at Whittle Dene for 2 weeks. Joined today by 7 Whooper Swans on the Northern Reservoir, the 4 long staying Whoopers in the southern fields now into their 6th week. #NEBirding

GOL DA ITÁLIA ⚽️ Sandro Tonali 🅰️ - #Itália 1-0 #Alemanha 🏆 #NationsLeague

Bird of the day at Whittle Dene was a Black-tailed Godwit, sadly out of range even for a record shot. The 8 Egyptian Geese returned after being absent all weekend and a Little Egret was the 1st for a couple of weeks. The 4 long-staying Whooper Swans still in the southern fields #NEBirding

Covent Garden was mint the neet … #HWTL #tellmema

Stage 1 #tellmemamema

Impressive count of 8 Egyptian Geese at Whittle Dene this afternoon. Previous high was 4. 3rd year in a row the species has been recorded here so hopefully will become more regular in the future. 4 Whooper swans in the bottom fields now for 4 weeks. #NEBirding

Great to finally catch up with the Smew at Grindon Lough in glorious sunshine this afternoon. First I've seen in Northumberland for years. #NEBirding

Spring was in the air at Whittle Dene today with returning Curlews, Skylarks singing, 2 Dippers displaying on Whittle Burn, one Red Kite to the West, 10 Whoopers, 4 Barnacle Geese & 40+ Oystercatchers on the Northern Res. and 4 Whoopers in the lower fields (for their 3rd week)

in 18 months Chelsea are going to offer us £120m for Lewis Hall #NUFC

Pope had the sort of game that Dubravka wallops imagine Heco has every week #NUFC #NFFC

In a parallel universe it's Osula that has that 1 on 1 at the end and he ruins the Forrest defender's life #NUFC #NFFC