kb57s 2025 year list (1 Viewer)

[kb57]

May 03: Branton Gravel Pits, Northumberland
In the area for a family wedding, got an hour or so birding the local gravel pits - an apparently long-staying ring-necked duck had been recorded here recently but didn't oblige today - or at least may have been on Hedgeley pits to the east which I didn't get to visit. A few year list ticks nonetheless, and a very pleasant start to the day, with great views of whitethroat, and multiple singing willow warblers.

154. Common Goldeneye
155. Yellowhammer
156. Common Whitethroat
157. Willow Warbler

 

[kb57]

May 05: East Wemyss, Fife
Had to give a friend a lift to Edinburgh after the wedding, and had brought my scope with the intention of doing some Firth of Forth birding, taking advantage of the fact I had a rental car for a few days. East Wemyss looked to have the most potential, and quickly delivered with excellent views of velvet scoter, with common scoters further offshore. After a couple of hours scanning the bay in the afternoon sun, and with the help of another birder (with a better scope...), I more than made up for my diving duck dip earlier in the weekend.

158. Velvet Scoter *
159. Red-throated Loon
160. Common Murre
161. White-winged Scoter
162. Surf Scoter *

The (male) surf scoter was my first for many years, while the white-winged completes the set for me!

And a brief mammal addition, popping up amongst the scoters, and causing some concern...

05. Harbour Seal *

 

[kb57]

May 07: north Newcastle on Tyne
A small flock of linnets near my partner's place, a species which has somehow eluded me both here and in Portugal up till now.

163. Common Linnet

 

[Owene]

May 05: East Wemyss, Fife
Had to give a friend a lift to Edinburgh after the wedding, and had brought my scope with the intention of doing some Firth of Forth birding, taking advantage of the fact I had a rental car for a few days. East Wemyss looked to have the most potential, and quickly delivered with excellent views of velvet scoter, with common scoters further offshore. After a couple of hours scanning the bay in the afternoon sun, and with the help of another birder (with a better scope...), I more than made up for my diving duck dip earlier in the weekend.

158. Velvet Scoter *
159. Red-throated Loon
160. Common Murre
161. White-winged Scoter
162. Surf Scoter *

The (male) surf scoter was my first for many years, while the white-winged completes the set for me!

And a brief mammal addition, popping up amongst the scoters, and causing some concern...

05. Harbour Seal *

Great bird. I Keep thinking about a trip to that part of the world while it’s around but just that bit too far for me

 

[kb57]

May 09: Rowland's Gill, Gateshead
Returning from a morning visit to Consett (if only I could've borrowed my partner's car for longer to head out to the moors / upper Derwent valley woodlands...), I finally got an unequivocal red kite - at least here the likelihood of misidentifying a black kite as a red is vanishingly small!

164. Red Kite

 

[kb57]

Great bird. I Keep thinking about a trip to that part of the world while it’s around but just that bit too far for me

It was well worth it - there are several surf scoters around the Forth, and some birders reckon more than one white-winged - given the frequency of records, it's quite likely you'd get another chance of both species next winter / spring. Just bring a decent 'scope, my 66mm Opticron was struggling!

 

[Owene]

It was well worth it - there are several surf scoters around the Forth, and some birders reckon more than one white-winged - given the frequency of records, it's quite likely you'd get another chance of both species next winter / spring. Just bring a decent 'scope, my 66mm Opticron was struggling!

Yeah there's always a few good birds en route too. I need to bite the bullet

 

[kb57]

May 13: north Newcastle on Tyne
Circling over the house being mobbed by a few brave (or foolhardy) starlings...

165. Eurasian Sparrowhawk

 

[kb57]

May 14: Coquet Island, Northumberland
Booked a 'birdwatchers special' 90 minute boat trip out of Amble - much, much better than the tourists-and-their-dogs sailings we've been on in recent years!
The north wind meant quite a bumpy ride, and no sailings are planned for the rest of the week as seas are forecast to get heavier. Tarried much longer at the roseate tern colony, getting lots of great views, and checked out the small population of razorbills at the south end of the island. Lots of puffins of course too, along with common and Sandwich terns - Arctic terns in contrast were conspicuous by their absence, only seeing a couple all trip - I guess they arrive in numbers a little later. Most unexpected were a group of over 70 roosting purple sandpipers, allowing close views from the boat - not a year list tick, but great to see nonetheless.
A brief visit to Druridge Pools on the way back didn't produce any new additions, but had great views of marsh harrier, avocets, and a very much not so great view of a Cetti's warbler - 3 species which would've been mega in Northumberland in my youth!

166. Atlantic Puffin
167. Common Tern
168. Roseate Tern
169. Razorbill
170. Arctic Tern

I've now caught up with my 2024 total, although at this time of the year in 2024 I was about to add significantly to it with a visit to Castro Verde...some of my additions then, like Montagu's Harrier, Black Kite, Purple Heron and Bee-eater are already on my 2025 list...on the other hand, there are still quite a few species I could catch up with when I return to Portugal. My stated objective of not trying too hard to re-see species I saw last year has disappeared, and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing roller, pratincole, golden oriole etc. again!

Edit: forgot a very obvious mammal list addition...

06. Grey Seal