A call yesterday(29th) from an excited S.Parnaby to tell me he was watching an adult Bonaparte’s Gull at Swallow Pond among the Black headed Gulls. A great find on his patch,it sadly took flight after only seven or eight minutes and failed to reappear. No doubt birders will be checking the site in hope this week? The likelyhood is, it is perhaps the bird regularly returning to Whitburn and Sunderland over the past few years,which was seen in a field down there a short while ago.
Myself,I was at a misty Holywell,enjoying again the good numbers of finches and buntings feeding in the stubble fields. 30 Yellowhammers took flight as a dog flushed them from the ground,calling to keep in contact as they spread along the nearby hedgerow. 10-12 Reed Buntings,and 20 Tree Sparrows with them.Last week’s Linnet flock remained,around 150 estimated. A flock of some 60-65 Goldfinches circled overhead.Near the dene, a large corvid flock noisily took to the air. Around 500 Jackdaws made up the bulk,with 200 Rooks .
At the pond, duck numbers were good,with Tufted,Pochard ,Teal,Wigeon and Mallard making up the majority.A few Shoveler and Goldeneye here too. 350 Pink Feet grazed the adjacent fields with 45 Grey Lags. 4 Grey Herons, a few Little Grebes and Black headed and Common Gulls made up the species. Two Kestrels hovered nearby.
At St Mary’s today, bright,sunny weather made for good viewing.Wader species included, 89 Sanderling,33 Ringed Plover,190 Redshank,5 Purple Sandpipers,37 Curlew,23 Turnstones,175 Golden Plover and 183 Lapwings. A pair of Sandwich Terns were spotted earlier( J. Bucknall) ,later seen down at Whitburn. A Little Grebe dived at the wetland and a Water Rail called. Along the main track,a male Stonechat was watched flycatching and a few Skylarks were in the field. An adult Med. Gull on the rocks with Black headed Gulls. Other sightings here this week include,Peregine,Snow Bunting and Great crested Grebe.
A.S. Jack