I hope my final memory is of an early Autumn morning at Newbiggin, sun warming in the East, blackberries to sweeten the tongue, the scrub alive with the soft calls of Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats. Two Lesser Whitethroats among 25 Common, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and lots of Chiffs this AM.

One good tern deserves another.. Coquet Island immediately firing back at The Farnes Bridled Tern with a splendid adult Sooty Tern. Barely minutes after my first juv Caspian Gull of the year on the local pond. August is such a dull month..

Inland for a change of scene today, four Crossbills, Spotted Flycatcher and Redpoll in a 4km loop in Harwood. Further W a surprise four Ospreys in the air over a quarry site and a distant perched Goshawk nearby (prob juvenile). Crossed paths with a Giant Wood Wasp!

Another v quiet early sea-watch produced just a single Arctic Skua and a handful of Manx north. A call from the other Alan alerted me to a Black Redstart along the coast. A late morning recce was successful with distant views as it sat up along the fence-line. Two Graylings nearby were nice.

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Farnes day with @naturetrek.bsky.social

Nice gentle start to a week with @naturetrek.bsky.social up here in Northumberland. Thunder & Lightning late afternoon but still turned out rosy!

Looking forward to a deep dive into the newly published ‘Birds of Budle Bay’ by @budlebirder.bsky.social in the coming days. Detailed patch accounts are always full of interest and expect this to be a great example.

Early morning wader survey out west, thoughts just turning to breakfast when AP wrecked my plans with Newbiggin’s first Dotterel this century.

An upland wader survey made a welcome change from Breeding Bird Surveys yesterday. The lunch stop venue on the way home offered some smart Yank Aythya views and a Coronation Chicken seeded bap followed by Turkish Delight. #livingthedream

Nursery Web Spider enjoying the Spring sunshine on an old weathered length of wood in garden earlier.

And in turn, reading this on a break from the early morning Easter fence-dismantling task, my mind wandered from the sound of singing Chiffchaff to this chap.

At 60 times around the sun I did something new today. My 25 year old fence partially collapsed with a tree-fall during Arwin and went further some time later. After having some tree work done last week I retained the brash and began to lay a dead hedge. Needs doing in stages to keep dog in so 1/3.

Bit of birding sandwiched between family visits added Black-tailed Godwit and this 2nd-winter Caspian Gull to the year’s efforts today. #lowcarbonbirding

The Internet Cuckoos are arriving, Spring is here.

Ringers, bit of help needed. Washed up colour ring with no corpse on tideline, three alpha code (SDI), dark green ring white letters, ring diameter 18mm. Options appear to be Great Egret, Herring Gull, White Stork or Griffon Vulture. (HG most likely?) any insight?

The Blyth White-billed Diver had clearly had enough of the assorted beards and camo today so it decided to steam upriver and took a while to re-find. Fittingly for a bird built like a battleship it was in the aptly named Battleship Wharf.

Plus ca change..

Loose group of five adult Little Gulls in a short patch seawatch early afternoon.

Last Winter Bird Survey visit for @btobirds.bsky.social was a quiet affair though a flock of 40 Yellowhammers was decent. Strange sight of a large mystery golden orb in the sky, hope it doesn’t result in local airspace closures. #winterbirdsurvey

Dashed out to Newbiggin to catch up with a Bean Goose found earlier in the day. My first Tundra since 2011 there (I’ve missed a few) the wait for Taiga goes on… #nland2025 #lowcarbonbirding

Lovely dry day walk up at Boulmer/Longhoughton Steel/Sugar Sands today with Suzanne. Quiet bird-wise with a confiding juv Merlin a bonus, lots of Rock Pipits and the ever-evocative sound of calling Curlews whilst picking our way through a Cuttlefish-apocalypse.

First Chinstrap Penguin for Greenland (if it wasn’t AI Junk). President of the supposed greatest country on earth 🤯🤦🏼‍♂️

Late afternoon post-work trip out to do my bit for the International Swan Census produced 26 Whoopers mid-county at one of the few Northumberland wintering sites left. #nland2026

Day 9 - Almost a non-birding day but a short outing to QEII CP to test Suzanne’s new dongle for remote working from the van offered a quick scan of the ever-present gull melee - 3 adult Med Gulls and some canus-grilling later we headed home. #lowcarbonbirding #nland2026

Day 8 - Cold with some welcome still air and sunshine. Auditioned for Dancing on Ice through the local woods but delighted to jam into a Marsh Tit in roving tit flock, pick-up Kingfisher, singing Dipper, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay and Goldcrest for the year. #lowcarbonbirding #nland2026

We dropped into a frozen Big Waters NR on way back and quickly located both the drake American Wigeon and adult Iceland Gull that have been lingering out on the ice. Willow Tit at the feeding station might well be a descendant of the first ones I saw there some 37 years ago as a fresh-faced youth.

Day 6 - Headed out West with ADMc to search for the Bean Geese reported y’day at Whittle Dene. After a few scans through the Greylag flock we picked up three in a field dip just before we were joined by @philopus.bsky.social. We concluded these were Tundra based on head/bill shape and short necks.

Day 5 - another night of snow, I crept around the frozen river edges in town this AM with Jack Snipe & Grey Wagtail as reward. By this PM every apple tree was guarded, 20 Blackbirds thronged below one, others were held by Fieldfares. A Buzzard fed boldly on roadkill. #lowcarbonbirding #nland2026

Day 4 - another finger-numbing brief sea-watch, little movement with single RT Diver, RB Merganser & Goldeneye passing. A few Meadow & Rock Pipits on beach plus Grey Plover and an interesting argentatus Herring Gull with extensive white in primaries. #lowcarbonbirding #nland2026