In a great year for County ticks, another major blocker fell today when news broke of a Fea’s Petrel making it’s steady northward progress off the Yorkshire coast and up past Cleveland and Durham into Northumberland. Various guesses as to it’s time of arrival at Tyneside proved pretty accurate, as this ocean wanderer lingered off Whitburn, then with an excited group gathering at St. Marys in anticipation,it came into view, being harried by a few gulls. It twisted and turned to escape the attention, before heading northward once more past more delighted birders in the island hide. The petrel was then tracked at various county sites , such as Snab Point,Druridge Bay,Beadnell, Annstead and the Farnes, allowing a good few observers to connect and add it to their county lists.
Also noted at St Mary’s today were Long tailed Skua, 10 Sooty Shearwaters,several Manx Shearwaters and Red throated Divers. Large numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills, Common, Arctic and Sandwich Terns, and numerous Gannets and Kittiwakes.
A.S.Jack