A message today from S.Parnaby,who was birding at Tynemouth to tell me he had been amazed to see and hear a Raven overhead,sent me scurrying for my newly arrived,still boxed, new binoculars.No time to even fit their strap to them! Hoping to christen them with what would be a Tyneside “tick”, I arrived to hear a Raven calling, even from inside the car. Not one,but two birds were flying from the Priory cliffs,low over my head,towards South Shields,calling to each other as they went. The first bird had flown through earlier,so incredibly, three were involved in total! Alerting South Shields birders,the three birds were seen soon after, across the river as they headed south. With a Raven being seen to pass here a few days ago,there has been an unprecedented southward movement of these birds,at this unlikely site. Representing,I believe, the first to fourth records for Tyneside . A great start for those new bins indeed!
On the rocks here, were 60 Redshanks,29 Ringed Plover,a Purple Sandpiper and 2 Rock Pipits. Kestrel at the Priory.
A.S.Jack