Whaticks?

I better come clean and admit that I was up Northumberland last Saturday and dirtily ticked the Ross’s Goose in Wooler. Good contender for a wild bird I think, with Pinky’s and very wary and flighty. I also saw the Squacco Heron (R.I.P) again and the Waxwings at Ashington which were a year tick. Then on Sunday I had 19 Waxwings in Great Lumley which was a more than welcome addition to my village list, superb little birds. Defiantly one of my favourite birds in the UK.

But now we come to the title of my blog post “Whaticks?”, I had moaned and twisted about having never seen Bewick's Swans in the UK before. On Wednesday night after I had got back from dipping the Desert Wheatear in Northumberland I was greeted with news from Steve Egglestone that 7 Bewick's Swans were on Boldon Flatts. Sadly it was to dark and all I had to do was to hope they were still going to be there in the morning. Thankfully they were still there at first light the next morning and I enjoyed some simply fantastic scope views of these fantastic birds. Then eventually at 08:35 then took off and I got some superb flight views as the birds flew round in a circle above the Flatts and then flew off gaining height heading south perhaps never to be seen in Durham again. Thanks to Mark Newsome and Steve Egglestone for allowing me to use their photos. I see a new banner coming soon.

(Bewick's Swans - © Mark Newsome)

(Bewick's Swans - © Steve Egglestone)

(Bewick's Swans - © Steve Egglestone)

(Bewick's Swans - © Steve Egglestone)

Click on any of the images to enlarge them

Until next time, Foghorn out!