A Lifer in the Day of...and Nice Legs!

Lee and I decided that any visit to the Druridge area may as well take in a look for the Stilt Sandpiper and so we set off.

A stop at Castle Island gave us sighting that included a small flock of Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwings, Dunlin, Redshank, Little Grebe, Mute Swans, Shelduck, Mallards, Teal and quite a number of Great-black Backed Gulls. 

We soon moved further north and decided to make straight for Druridge Pools where we failed to find the Stilt Sandpiper.  We bumped into Martin Kitching who advised us that the Stilt Sandpiper was showing well at Cresswell Pond and also that a pod of Bottle Nosed Dolphins where showing well on the sea.  Decisions decisions!  What to go for first?  We headed off to Cresswell Pond, as after all this sandpiper would be a lifer.  I’m pleased to say that when we arrived the Stilt Sandpiper was showing well and in good light.  It was good to see numbers of casual observers in the hide taking an interest in the bird.

This evening at Cresswell Pond was never going to match the last visit we had made, lifer or no lifer, but there were still some decent birds to be seen which included large numbers of Common Snipe, Avocet, Lapwing, partially summer plumaged Knot, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Common Sandpiper (2), Ruff and Little Egret.  Goldeneye was seen again on the pond.

We decided to return to Druridge Pools and before checking that particular area out, take a look on the sea.  There was no sign of the Bottled-nosed Dolphins by now.  We did hear Stonechats.

By the pools we found that the pair of Great Crested Grebe remain and we found a number of Yellow Wagtails.  A Dunlin fed in front of the hide and from the other hide we found a rather more distant Ruff feeding.

We hadn’t had quite the sighting of the Stilt Sandpiper that had been had this morning at Druridge, but a good sighting none the less.