What a great way to sign off on our Chilean jaunt. As the sun was setting on our final evening in Torres del Paine this female Puma gave some wonderful scope views. Iconic! #Patagonia #Birding

A roadside Black-Chested Buzzard-Eagle in Torres del Paine, the full crop and bloodied claws probably explained its reluctance to fly! #Patagonia #Birding

Super smart Aplomado Falcon sitting up nicely on the Chilean steppe. #Patagonia #Birding

A day mooching around the back roads more in hope than expectation of finding a Tawny-throated Dotterel amazingly came up trumps late in the day. Looking into the sun unfortunately but a flighty group of ten were still utterly sublime! #Patagonia #Birding

A brilliant boat trip into the Beagle Channel produced a wealth of penguins, albatross’s and blubber. Both Snowy Sheathbill and Gentoo Penguin proved welcome new birds while BB Alberts and Southern Giant Petrels were almost continually on view! #Patagonia #Birding

Rufous-Chested Dotterel along the seawall in Ushuaia. Well up there on the trip ‘most wanted’ list, so pleased to find one still retaining most of its breeding attire. #Patagonia #Birding

This Magellanic Plover necessitated a fair bit of legwork to locate on Tierra del Fuego. With a restricted global range and an estimated population of below 500 individuals, it probably qualifies as the rarest bird of the trip so far. #Patagonia #Birding

All hail the King. A sensational experience visiting the mainland colony of King Penguins on Tierra del Fuego. Even better than I hoped it would be! #Patagonia #Birding

Male Magellanic Woodpecker, a woodpecker the size of a wheelie bin. This one must hit the trees so hard, it’s blunted the tip of its bill! #Patagonia #Birding

Inca Terns, these jewels were lining the ledges, window sills and air con units of our seafront hotel in Vina del Mar. Just like the Kittiwakes on Newcastle Quayside! #birding

Peruvian Diving Petrel was a welcome lifer, giving off a real Little Auk vibe! #birding

Red-legged Cormorant, BB Albatross, Chilean Skua and Westland Petrel among some of the days star performers. #birding

Fuegian Storm Petrels a potential future split from Wilson’s perhaps? #birding

Salvin’s Albatross from a wonderful pelagic off Valparaiso last weekend. #birding

A few more of the phenomenal DSP from last week. A bit of a ball breaking three hour drive to get to the location but I ended up doing it three days running! #birding

That’s the first leg of our Chilean road trip up in the Andes done and dusted. With Diademed SP being firmly numero uno on the bucket list, our jaunt could hardly have started any better!

One of three DB Brents that have been visiting SMI Wetland this week. The high water levels resulted in some exceptionally close encounters in front of the viewing wall at times. #NEbirding

An exceptional 2 Grey Plovers today @ SMI inc a weird looking pale-billed individual. #NEbirding

Water Rail squeezed out of the shadows by last week’s freeze up. #NEbirding

Grey Plover in the north bay @ SMI this pm. A scarce occurrence here. #NEbirding

Male Snow Bunt putting the brakes on along Whitley Bay links this pm #NEbirding

The SMI Water Pipit was hunkered under the cliffs in the north bay late yesterday pm #NEbirding

Dark-bellied Brent on SMI Wetland this morning. The first record of the year here fittingly on the final day! #NEbirding

Ginormous crop of yesterday’s Russian WFG on the outskirts of Whitley Bay. The field was empty today with the Pinks having moved up to Gloucester Lodge, Blyth for a change of scene #NEbirding

Big crop of Martin Kerby’s fab Black-throated Diver off Tynemouth Long Sands this pm. A rare opportunity to see one locally that wasn’t belting past on a seawatch! #NEbirding.

I can probably count the number of Med Gulls I’ve had in Marden Quarry over the years on one hand. So 2 adults present this morning proved quite exceptional. Not had time to chase the ring up yet however. #NEbirding

The potentially wintering Firecrest continues to light up Marden Quarry this morning, tho it can be very difficult to locate at times. #NEbirding

Greenland WFG with Pinkfeet at Backworth yesterday. Given their current population decline, arguably the rarest bird seen in North Tyneside this autumn! #NEbirding

Snow Bunting along Whitley Bay prom yesterday, typically ridiculously approachable. #NEbirding

There seems to be a fair few Black Redstarts locally at the moment. This one was along the prom at Cullercoats this pm. #NEbirding

The Marden Quarry Firecrest, the first one here since 1992 and what a banger! #NEbirding

Quality over quantity off SMI today in some decent seawatching conditions. An afternoon Leach’s Petrel proved the best of the bunch with Sooty Shearwater, Bonxie, GND and Little Gulls providing some canny back up. #NEbirding

The SMI Casp fest continues with this 1stW out in the murk late pm #NEbirding

The Marden Quarry Cetti’s continued to offer more tantalising glimpses this morning. Fingers crossed it’s the beginning of a protracted stay! #NEbirding

Tyneside’s tiniest typha bed came up trumps today when it pulled in this patch first Cetti’s Wblr. A quite unexpected addition! #NEbirding

Ginormous crops of a distant 1st W Casp off the prom @ SMI this morning. The 10th of the season thus far here #NEbirding

The regular SMI foreshore Water Pipit gave itself up good and proper on the wetland mid morning. #NEbirding

The SMI Wetland Mudfest continued this morning making for a compelling couple of hours with the Water Pipit, Jack Snipe and several Water Rails being the obvious highlights. However a small group of Sanderling scuttling around on the mud was perhaps the most unexpected sighting! #NEbirding

Some fringe benefits of draining SMI Wetland! #NEbirding

Diggerland: with the best of intentions we’ve drained SMI Wetland and embarked on some badly needed silt and vegetation clearance! #NEbirding

Another 1st W Casp off the prom @ SMI this morning. Hopefully the CR details will offer some insight into this geezers past history. #NEbirding

The regular Water Pipit back along the prom @ SMI for its 5th consecutive winter #NEbirding

A late Willow Warbler that sat up nicely in Shetland last week. #UKbirding #Shetlandbirding

Freshly arrived Shortie at SMI yesterday pm. The local Magpies were having none of it and soon drove it off inland! #NEbirding

Firecrest @ SMI Wetland yesterday, not as showy as the image suggests! #NEbirding

The incredibly elusive Haroldswick Blackpoll gave itself up briefly this pm. Got to love those orange feet! #UKbirding #Shetlandbirding

Much calmer day today and we managed to encounter our first Unst YBW of the trip #UKbirding

Tree Pipit slinking through the long grass and looking really rare at Norwick this pm. #UKbirding

Bluethroat in classic Shetland fence post habitat #UKbirding

A canny first few days on the Shetland birding roller coaster. Despite some fierce winds we’ve still managed to connect with some great quality from all points of the compass! #birdingUK