Phone scoped video of the juvenile Caspian gull on the Black Middens at Tynemouth this morning. Not the greatest footage ever (it was pretty distant to be fair) but shows most of the key features well enough. #nebirding #patchbirding

Juvenile Med gull on Spanish Battery Rocks, Tynemouth this morning. There seem to be quite a few of these around at the moment... #nebirding #patchbirding

The fabulous sooty tern on the wonderful Coquet Island this evening. Not what I was expecting to be watching, or where I was expecting to be after work today! #nebirding #RareBirdsUK

First juvenile Caspian gull of the autumn at Tynemouth this morning - my earliest ever here by 10 days. Not the best pics, though to be fair it was a fly-by on a seawatch! #nebirding #patchbirding

Broad-bodied chaser at Tynemouth this morning - the first I've ever seen here.

Temporarily out of twitching retirement for a day! Great views of the western reef heron below Caernarfon Castle this morning... #ukbirding #rarebirdsuk

A rare trip up to Druridge Bay this afternoon reminded me that there are lots of good birds to see if you are willing to travel outside North Tyneside! A great white egret at East Chev South Pool was a surprise, as were nine 2cy little gulls at Hauxley. #nebirding

Another lovely morning for a vis-mig watch at Tynemouth. A hobby north at 0728 was a long overdue patch tick 🎉 and a spotted flycatcher over north was the first I've ever seen on vis mig. Also singing sedge warbler and lesser whitethroat around the patch this morning. #nebirding #patchbirding

Slower vis-mig day at Tynemouth this morning but great to get prolonged views of this marsh harrier, circling over South Shields to gain height before crossing over the river, then continuing on north. #nebirding #patchbirding

Greenshank on Tynemouth Boating Lake this morning. A scarcely credible sighting and a timely reminder of why I keep checking the place, despite its complete lack of interesting birds 99% of the time... #patchgold #nebirding

Vis-mig at Tynemouth this am produced a common crane south (only my second ever here but far too distant for pics), a hooded crow north and landing briefly (just about visible in photo), 9 mute swans flying out to sea then returning upriver, plus a steady run of hirundines. #nebirding #patchbirding

Female nightjar at St Mary's Island Wetland this pm. Just the best birds... #nebirding

Very smart adult med gull on Spanish Battery, Tynemouth this morning #nebirding #patchbirding

Today's #patchbirding mission was sedge warbler. Just about annual in Tynemouth but largely restricted to early May so it was now or never... It took a while but it was eventually mission accomplished when I found one singing from deep in the vegetation west of the Haven (sound on). #nebirding

Fieldfare in Prior's Park in the cold and drizzle at Tynemouth this afternoon #patchbirding #nebirding

My third grey plover in two days at SMI Wetland this morning. A strange-looking first-summer bird (but definitely not an American golden plover...) #nebirding

Genuine #patchbirding gold! One of two grey plovers on Spanish Battery Rocks at Tynemouth this afternoon - I've only ever seen fly-bys here before... #nebirding

Best morning of #patchbirding of the spring so far at Tynemouth today with female whinchat in Longsands dunes, 2 greenshanks over north, dark-bellied brent goose on Spanish Battery Rocks and 5 wheatears. #nebirding

Whimbrel in the sea fret at Tynemouth this morning #nebirding #patchbirding

Relatively quiet vis mig morning at Tynemouth enlivened by a hooded crow north over the river at 0823 (sadly too distant for photos). Flyover hooded crows are pretty much annual here in mid-April if you spend long enough looking, though of course they count for nowt in #pwc2026 now... #nebirding

'Just' a moorhen, but this one is Boating Lake gold! Moorhen on Tynemouth Boating Lake today, my first there for over six years... #nebirding #patchbirding

Quiet migration morning at Tynemouth today. Highlights of 12 whooper swans north and 3 sand martins south but very few passerines moving. A singing reed bunting on the Spanish Battery was unusual for here. #nebirding #patchbirding

It's a very, very long time since I've seen any taiga bean geese, so it was well worth a trip off patch to see the flock of 11 at Hoppen Kiln Flash this afternoon. #nebirding

Other white-billed diver photos are very definitely available, but I was pleased to get this one when it popped up right in front of us in the sunshine at Blyth South Harbour this afternoon. #nebirding

Polish colour-ringed Mediterranean gull 'PETL' with the black-heads at Tynemouth this morning #nebirding #patchbirding

Remains of one of two dead woodcocks found along the tide line at Longsands this pm. Presumably birds from the continent that didn't quite make it... #nebirding

Shockingly poor phone video (I didn't have my camera with me) but this knot with the turnstones on Tynemouth Boating Lake today is a true Boating Lake Mega! Along with little gull and 2 Med gulls in the surf off Longsands it made for a pretty decent lunchtime walk 😀 #nebirding #patchbirding

First #patchbirding twitch of the year for this juvenile glaucous gull at North Shields Fish Quay, which gave good views late this afternoon before heading off towards South Shields Pier. I didn't see one here last year, so it was great to see this one so early in 2026. #nebirding

And that's #patchbirding at Tynemouth up and running in 2026, with the long-staying black redstart still braving the cold weather at the base of the pier. Happy New Year! #nebirding

The best/worst of #patchbirding today... A wet lunchbreak spent staring across the river at the South Shields red-necked grebe, showing down to a few metres over there but more like 1km away from here! Easy enough to see what it was though in the scope and onto the #PWC2025 list it goes...