Redcar (off Zetland roundabout): Adult Little Gull feeding 4pm. On sea: 325 Eider, 6 Common Scoter, 30 Teal, 2 Wigeon, a few Guillemot but no divers. Also 1 Sandwich Tern & 1 Gannet. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Redcar: Now 305+ Eider off Redcar (only 210 a week ago). Most of them feed around the rocks close off town centre at low tide but gather in a large flock off Zetland Roundabout at High Tide. Mostly adult drakes. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

South Gare: midday on Bran Sands at low tide, huge area of mud, difficult to get near the waders. 4 juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, 20 Dunlin, 50+ Ringed Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, colour ringed Curlew, 20 Sandwich Tern, 20 Common Tern & 1 Little Egret. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

South Gare: very elusive Wryneck in Sueda bushes on Cabin Rocks. On Bran Sands: 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, juvenile Pintail (unusual here) with 1 Shoveler & 10 Wigeon, 150+ Teal, 2 Little Egret, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 adult Grey Plover. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Sleddale area: 2 immature White-tailed Eagles 1715 to 1740 when they possibly landed in a distant forest. Also, 5 Red Kite, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby, 5 Kestrel & 15+ Common Buzzard. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Sleddale area: immature White-tailed Eagle flew in at 1730 and possibly settled in large forest at 1740. Also, juvenile Marsh Harrier, 6+ Red Kite, 6+ Common Buzzard & 3 Kestrel (& juvenile Wheatear). Yesterday: Peregrine & Merlin in same area. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Family walk on beach from Marske to Saltburn today produced this beauty with large numbers of Black-headed Gulls. I never tire of straying upon a Med Gull. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

South Gare (Tees): juv Caspian Gull, 14 Arctic Skua, 500+ auks (mostly Guillemot but many Razorbill), 125 Ringed Plover, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit (1 juv), 1 knot, 30 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling, 1 Eider @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @nybirdnews

Item on TV recently deploring a recent spate of catapult attacks on birds by yobs in Kent. RSPCA chap said they are going out killing birds just for fun. Spot the difference.

South Gare Cormorant yesterday ringed as a non flying juvenile only 53 days earlier on 16th June in a small colony in dunes near Bloemandaal, Nord Holland. They would be keen to hear of any further sightings. Thanks to Ian Forrest & Chris Batty at RBA. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Margrove Ponds Pectoral Sandpiper with its constant companion (Ruff) yesterday evening. Both species occasionally get confused with Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. I posted a video on Twitter but cannot do this on Blue Sky. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

South Gare: Cormorant with red colour ring '9K' on jetty once favoured by that Brown Booby. Cannot find the ringing scheme. Masses of birds feeding on river including 4 Roseate Terns (2 ads, 2 juvs), c. 500 Guillemot, a few Razorbill & 7 Arctic Skua. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Marske: close feeding flock of Kittiwakes & Common Terns held adult Roseate Tern, adult + 2 juv Arctic Tern & 3 1st summer Little Gulls. Also, 2 Bottlenose Dolphin, 1 Puffin, 10+ Razorbill, 300+ Guillemot, 20+ Gannet, 6 Common Scoter, 10+ Sandwich Tern @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Marske beach: This adult Med Gull daily feeding on beach at low tide. Flew to join the B H Gulls being fed on the car park today. Another adult on Bydales school playing field today @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Bydales, Marske: 3 adult Med Gulls on playing field at 5pm, 1 pristine summer & 2 in some moult. No juveniles yet but 2 were seen at South Gare on 14th July. 100+ Common Scoter on sea. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

South Gare: 6 Manx Shearwater loafing with 15 Common Scoter 1.5 miles towards Redcar. Another 65 Common Scoter close off Bydales, Marske. Adult Med Gull on field near Bydales. A few Red-throated Diver back & more Guillemots than recently. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Bydales, Marske: gulls back on the playing field today including 2 first summer Med Gulls. Sea very still, summer adult Red-throated Diver, drake Common Scoter, 20 Gannet, 20 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Tern, 4 Guillemot, 1 Shag. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Missed the South Gare Hump-backed Whale but second-summer Med Gull feeding off Gare End & 2 Puffins with all the Guillemots. Hummingbird Hawk Moth in my Marske garden, first for many years. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Blackhall Rocks: 250+ Common Scoter at low tide, far too far out to spot anything with them. Local said they come much closer at high tide. 30 drake Eider, 10 G C Grebe, 40 Sandwich Terns, 20 Gannet etc. PS: today is the 11th anniversary of the Redcar Black Scoter. @teesbirds.bsky.social

On 30th June parliament will debate the 'Ban Grouse Shooting' petition (100,000 signatures). Such debates are normally poorly attended & dominated by Conservative MP's sponsored by the Grouse shooting lot but my excellent MP understands the situation @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Sleddale: Juv White-tailed Eagle G639 (fledged IOW in 2024) spent 15 mins in Cleveland this afternoon, c. 500 metres east of Sleddale Farm. Cleveland boundary is 1km east of the farm. Landed twice. Viewed from Brown Hill, high point on Percy Rigg Road @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social

Screen grab of the Buston Links apparent female Cinnamon Teal. RBA have started broadcasting this as a hybrid Shoveler for some reason. Does anyone know if Bird Guides are doing the same? OK, it's with a drake Shoveler but calling it a hybrid is a bit of a stretch. @ntbirdclub.bsky.social

Apparent female Cinnamon Teal paired with drake Shoveler at Buston Links, Northumberland, on 10th May. I have uploaded videos to Twitter but BSky cannot handle my videos (acknowledged problem). On the south pool about 500 metres from the much publicised barn.

Re White-tailed Eagles introduced to Isle of White, I would tick any offspring (though not the birds actually introduced). Bird G625 (reared in 2023) has already passed through Cleveland last year. Birds G636 & G637 (reared in 2024) might end up here. Let's hope the current bird is one of these 3.

Scaling Dam. 2 White Wagtails near hide with Pied Wagtails. There used to be the prospect of a species split but those days seem to have gone. Also 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Redcar: juvenile Velvet Scoter closely associating with drake Eider off Zetland roundabout. Altogether only 12 Eider. At South Gare 17 Little Terns & 4 Sandwich Terns on bay rocks at low tide. Many Wheatear. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

Off Bydales, Marske 4 to 5pm: 2+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins on very flat sea. 13 adult Gannet, 13 juv Red-throated Diver, 15 Common Scoter, 2 Eider & 30+ Guillemot on sea. Sandwich Tern fishing. @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

Scaling Dam: overcast weather brought down feeding hirundines this morning: 30+Swallow, 20+ Sand Martin & 2+ House Martin. Also 2 L R Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, Willow Warblers & Chiffchaffs around car park, drake Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye & 3 Common Buzzard. @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social

The White-winged Black Tern in Scotland from 27th to 30th March and (presumed same bird) at Saltholme Pools RSPB on 1st April is easily the earliest in RBA's record history going back to 2001. Previous earliest records were on 16th April 18 and 17th April 19. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Rosedale: Male Ring Ouzel back at top of Chimney Bank & 8 Wheatear, 1 Red Kite. In Farndale: 2 Red Kite and mating Toads laying toad spawn in pool by track. Also feral Barnacle & Bar-headed Geese (2 of each). @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Redcar: Eider numbers now down to only 80. Steady movement of Kittiwakes north, 1 Red-throated Diver and 2 feeding adult Gannets. A few Purple Sandpipers on rocks. Still no Sandwich Terns. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Scaling Dam: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Red Kite (scarce here recently), 2 Common Buzzard prospecting large deciduous tree, 64 Wigeon, 5 Goldeneye, 2 G C Grebe. Danby: Shorelark on moor 3pm 100 yards before bottom of hill down from Danby Beacon.

Redcar: still at least 240 Eider off Zetland roundabout awaiting a visitor from the east. 70 Common Scoter flew south, only 2 R T Diver on sea. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Good 6 hours north of Tees: 100+Twite Seaton Snook; S E Owl Seaton Common; adult Spoonbill, G W Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier Cowpen Marsh; Greenshank Tidal Pool; 2 Egyptian Geese Brinefields; 41 Avocet, Marsh Harrier & G W Egret Saltholme @teesbirds.bsky.social

Robin Hood’s Bay: female Black Redstart still present on bolders just north of the bottom of the slipway by sea wall feeding with Grey Wagtail & Rock Pipit. Porpoise & R T Diver on sea. 8 Common Scoter & R T Diver at Sandsend. @nybirdnews.bsky.social

South Gare: GN Diver on Tees. Still 370 Eider off Redcar, 55 Common Scoter in Coatham Bay & 60 off Bydales, Marske. Lots of Auks (mostly or all Guillemots) moving south. GND Video posted on Twitter but BlueSky cannot cope with Nikon P900 videos. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Gouthwaite Res: pair of Ring-necked Ducks at north end & 3 Red Kites. Lingham Lake: superb drake Smew & adult Whooper Swan. Nosterfield reserve: 4 Ruff @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Off Bydales, Marske: Great Northern Diver at 1230, perhaps the one seen at Redcar earlier by Chris Small. Still at least 330 Eider at Redcar. Could not find yesterday’s 70 Common Scoter. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Off Bydales, Marske this afternoon: adult Med Gull on beach, 25+ Red-throated Diver & 15 Common Scoter on sea. Merlin eating prey on coastal field. Redcar’s Eider flock now fragmented and distantly spread out between Redcar & Marske. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

I have found a limitation with Blue Sky. It will not load up videos greater than 50 megs (about 24 seconds on my camera). Twitter may have a limit but I have just uploaded a larger video there (43 seconds, 89 megs).

Off Bydales, Marske: 7 Bottle-nosed Dolphins at 2.30 heading towards Saltburn. First I have ever seen here during January to March but seas usually too choppy in winter to notice them. Also 30 Common Scoter, 2 R T Diver & 1 Great Crested Grebe. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Redcar: 360 Golden Plover & adult Med Gull (same bird as Chris Small’s seen by the cinema) on coastal field. South Gare: 2 Great Northern Diver (1 near jetty & 1 by tip of Seaton Snook), Purple Sandpiper on riverside at Gare End, 31 Bar-tailed Godwit. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

South Gare: 9 Snow Bunting on beach close to dunes half a mile towards Redcar at 1 pm.

Redcar at low tide:500+Herring Gulls feeding on mussels just north of cinema. One first-winters Caspian Gull with them, very aggressive large individual, presumed male. 550+ Eider sheltering inside rocks. 10 Shag, 1 R B Merganser. @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social

My first BlueSky post. Xmas present from daughters. Great book but photos are less impressive than in ‘Europe’s Birds’ by Hugh Harrop et al though text per species is more comprehensive. It probably covers fewer species. Eg. Grey-headed Lapwing omitted. Impending taxonomic changes not covered.