Snook am Yesterday’s small hirundine movement not repeated today. No terns on beach— too many dog-walkers, but 430 Sandwich Tern on Seal Sands. Couple of ringed Curlew near jetty and a notable 60 Lapwing, 25 Curlew, a Golden Plover + lots of Starling on the Power Sta. field. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Snook HT mid-day c150 Sandwich Tern still on peninsula but at last some terns on the beach today,albeit at the mouth of the Tees. c80 Common, c50 Sandwich, 8 Little and at least 3 Roseates(2ad/1 juv)— FoY at this location. Adults very vocal. 6 Whimbrel (4.2) were incoming. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Snook HT am 190 Sandwich Tern sticking to the Peninsula. On the beach, 10 Common Tern+ Portlandica & 5 juv plus 5 Little Tern & 3 juv. 10 Swallow (5.3.2) moved S and 22 Golden Plover, 5 Oystercatcher, and 2 Curlew were incoming. 9 Sanderling, Turnstone and Dunlin at roost. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Family trip to NNorthumberland yesterday. At Long Nanny lots of Arctic Terns with young on the beach with at least 5 Roseates, 4 ads and one juv.

Autumnal feel to the weather and birds today with c250 Sandwich Terns arriving at the Snook— resting on the beach mid-am at low tide. Not able to count young birds with flock disturbed by dog walkers but there appeared to be good nos present. Also here half a dozen each of Sanderling and Dunlin.

An early juv RTD was in the channel at the Snook today , and a few Little and Sandwich Terns were in the bay. A handful of of Swallows passed through south and Mipits were present in good nos around the slag bund/ samphire bed. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Circular walk in yesterday’s mid-day sunshine at Tilery Wood produced at least 10 Silver Washed Fritillaries m&f, m Emperor Dragonfly, f Southern Hawker, and a Great Diving Beetle in one of the rapidly drying-out forest ponds. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Couple more shots of yesterday’s Beardies from Saint Aidans RSPB . Ad male and juv female.

For little brown-job moth aficionados, pics of the first VC66 Eucosmomorpha albersana (Honeysuckle Beauty) since 1869 (!) Caught Tilery Wood 26.05.26. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Visit to St Aidans RSPB today on a return trip from Sheffield with usual quality sightings including LOwl, Red Kite, MHarrier, Cattle Egrets, BNGrebe, Bitterns (booming) and best of all m/f Bearded Tits feeding recently fledged young.

2 Cattle Egret flew from the roadside on entering Holme Fleet this am. Briefly landed on the marshy area north of the Fleet before flying towards the tip. Also here Garganey and orange/red wing- tagged Marsh Harrier.

Regular spring trip to NFrance Somme Bay last week. Highlights inc. v common N’gales, Cuckoo, TDoves in song everywhere; G Ibis, Savi’s, Fan Tailed Wblrs, WS Bluethroats in reed beds; Melod. Wblrs in scrub; and in Crecy Forest H Buzzard, Hobby, HHarrier, ST T’ceeper, Hawfinch and Pine Martin.

A little migration at the NGare this am. In 2 hrs:- 53 Swallows 2 Swifts 1 Yellow Wagtail 5 Blackwits 1 Goldfinch 4 Carrion Crows Plus 2 Whimbrel (Golf Course), 2 Sandwich and 2 Little Terns, and a RTDiver. @teesbirds.bsky.social

4 singing Garden Warbler at Tilery Wood. Masters of singing from hidden positions.

Return to half-decent vismig at NGare 08.00-11.00 307 Mipit 28 Linnet 17 Goldfinch 1 Siskin 6 Alba Wag 1 White Wag 26 Swallow 3 SMartin (Locals hanging around) 2 HMartin 3 Whimbrel (1st here) 5 Sandwich Tern (Loitering) Plus 22 Wheatear early on, RTDiver and GCGrebe. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Cowpen Marsh am This Peregrine had to defend its kill from Crows & MHarriers. 2 Harriers involved both seen in past weeks, both dark cream- crowned birds. One distinguishable by missing lwing primary, the other by notch in lwing and a new grey central tail feather—so prob m. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Cowpen Marsh am Large imm Peregrine (prob f) killed a Gadwall on the marsh north of Holme Fleet. Harassed throughout by Crows and 2 MHarriers. @teesbirds.bsky.social

@nybirdnews.bsky.social Another day with no vismig early am at NGare. Just a Sand Martin and 6 Siskin of note. At Holme Fleet mid-am:- Ruddy Shelduck, 2 Egyptian Geese, ad. m MHarrier and 30-odd Whoopers—latter circled low calling before heading south towards Saltholme. @teesbirds.bsky.social

No vismig at NGare early am, but first SMartins (3) were present briefly. At Holme Fleet am:- Barn Owl (Tip), Buzzard, usual MHarrier, 2 Egyptian Geese, 27 Pinkfeet, Blackwit and Cetti’s Wblr, plus Fox and Roe Deer. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Little vismig at NGare this am but 1st Wheatear and a small, prob m, imm Merlin belted through NW. Whooper, 2 Avocet, 2 Egyptian Geese and MHarrier at Holme Fleet—-Harrier familiar dark cream -crowned bird with missing primary in left wing. @teesbirds.bsky.social

May be hard to remember but there was a fine, warm, still spring day last week when everything could be seen on a flat calm sea with 8 RTD’s and 8 GCGrebes close in to the NGare. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Holme Fleet/ Cowpen Marsh am. 3 MHarrier Sparrowhawk 2 Little Egret 2 Egyptian Geese Cetti’s Wblr Little Grebe Blackwit Plus very odd-looking leucistic Curlew on SubSta Pool, Tees Dock Rd. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Distinctive ad-f Marsh Harrier this am on NTees marshes. Complete white face, head and neck with just a vestige of mask. White on the nape extending onto the back, and solid white wedges on upper leading edge of forewing. Interacted briefly with ad-m but no display noted. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Dunlin, Golden Plover (120) and Fieldfares (40) added interest to yesterday’s WeBS at Seaton Common. The large Twite flock from the Snook appear to have relocated to the Common, seen in the weed-covered old marshy area at the end of the Zinc Works Rd. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Housebound (bad weather/head cold) so chance to look at MHarrier pics from 10th at Cowpen Marsh. Lot of activity.Looks like 6 birds involved— identifiable from plumage, tags, feather wear/moult , and not including near adult m there on 9th. Pics of juv-type/2CY attached. @teesbirds.bsky.social

With favourable SW’s, first decent vismig at NGare 08.15-11.00. 153 Mipits 21 Alba Wagtail—but with only Pied specifically id’d. 4 Goldfinch 5 Carrion Crow Also here 4 RTDiver, 2 GCGrebe, Razorbill, 2 BNGrebe and Purple Sandpiper. @teesbirds.bsky.social

A couple of distant grebes picked out on the sea at NGare during a vismig session eventually moved closer to the Gare resolving into a pair of BNGrebes—one full sumplum, the other not quite there yet. A real bonus, usually having to travel to see them . @teesbirds.bsky.social

A lot of activity in the garden this weekend with Blackbirds nest-building and Great Tits prospecting the nest box. First Siskins of the year joined the regular Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches on the feeders. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Spring-like yesterday with several Chiffchaff at RSPB Saltholme and Dormans Pool. At Cowpen Marsh:- 3 Buzzard 2 Marsh Harrier—a dark cream- crowned bird and older f-type with pale shoulders markings. Short Eared Owl—Cowpen Tip Cetti’s Warbler 2 Little Grebe @teesbirds.bsky.social

Old Moor RSPB at the weekend. 2 Marsh Harrier m/f 11 Buzzard (In the air together) Sparrowhawk (With Buzzards) Kingfisher Water Rail c100 Pinkfeet (Over north) Barnacle Goose Plus 5 Buzzard 2 Red Kite on A1 home bound leg.