Eight members attended at 09.00 hrs on a mild day with a westerly breeze blowing off shore. The sea was very calm becoming a little choppy as high tide approached. Later in the day it became sunny and warm.
We started on Marine Drive to check the rocks before the high tide covered them. Here we found 27 Turnstones, 30 Oystercatchers, 90 Great Black-backed Gulls. Small numbers of Sandwich Terns were offshore and 60 Eider Ducks were on the sea to the North. 5 Swallows were flying over the beach area.
The next stop was the Headland for sea watching. 5 Red-throated Divers were seen on the sea or flying past plus a Great Northern Diver flying South. Large numbers of Guillemots were seen on the sea or flying past with single figure numbers of Razorbills. Sandwich Terns were present again either flying past or feeding. Walking along the seafront to the Heugh breakwater and the Pilot Pier we found Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls and Cormorants loafing on the rocks. Redshanks, 2 Curlew and Turnstones were on the fore shore as well as a Wheatear, a small flock of Starlings and 10 House Sparrows in the small bushes next to the sea wall. Further along across the water there were 10 Kittiwakes still in the nesting colony near the lifeboat house at the entrance to Hartlepool Docks. 2 Common Terns were sat on a marker buoy near the pilot pier occasionally venturing off to feed in the dock entrance. We then walked round the memorial gardens and through St. Hilda’s churchyard which produced nothing on our way back to the cars at the Headland.
We had lunch at Newburn Bridge which can be a good high tide roost as well as a good view over Hartlepool Bay. 40 Oystercatchers were roosting with 6 Turnstones. A large number of Herring Gulls were over or on the sea, nearly all juveniles. A small wader was seen on the concrete out flow pipe. This was one of our target birds for the day- a Purple Sandpiper. It was a brief view before it flew along the sea front and out of sight.
North Gare produced our second target bird of the day- a Whinchat- sat on a wire fence. It was soon joined by 4 Stonechats in adjacent bushes. Common Gulls and Black-headed gulls were on the golf course fairway and another Wheatear. In the Tees mouth there were 6 Red-throated Divers, Sandwich Terns and a Great-crested Grebe. Two Arctic Skuas were on the sea until a passing Sandwich Tern caught their attention which they harassed until it regurgitated it fish which one of the skuas caught in mid air. Buzzard and Kestrel were seen on the opposite side of the road to the North Gare entrance.
The viewing screen at Greatham Creek had a Spoonbill flying across and landing a short distance away giving good views. It began feeding rather going to sleep as they usually do when you see them. There were 8 Grey Herons and 8 Little Egrets across the area and a Marsh Harrier flew past. Waders included 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Greenshank, 13 Dunlin, Curlew, Lapwings and our first and only Ringed Plover. 6 Teal, 1 Shelduck and 1 Tufted Duck were our only wildfowl here. Wigeon were seen across the road on the Saline Lagoons.
We then finished our day looking over two Saltholme pools from the road where we found our freshwater wetland birds. Mute Swans, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Ducks, Pochard, Gadwall, Teal, c40 Barnacle and Greylag Geese. Waders included a late Avocet on the causeway, 1 Snipe, 2 Ruff, Lapwings, Curlew and c40 Black-tailed Godwits. 4 Linnets were the only small birds seen. One member stayed a little longer and had a look at Dorman’s Pool which added further Wigeon, Little Grebe, a cream-crowned Marsh Harrier and a Chiffchaff, our first and only warbler.
Finishing with a total of 63 species for the day we finished here at 4.30 pm.
Although it was a quiet day for smaller birds it was a successful day out. Thank you to all who attended.
Mike Smithson
