Red-throated Diver

Have just had a few days at Berwick. I think it was last Tuesday when it was blowing a westerly gale when we visited Cocklawburn Beach. We had just left the Pot-a-Doodle Do cafe, near Scremerston, with its holiday home wigwams and made our way to the beach. Did the wimpy thing of scoping from inside the car but quickly spotted something that said 'Diver', then it was gone. A few minutes later a Cormorant appeared - drat, but kept looking. Then the Diver reappeared and I convinced myself it was a Red-throated Diver. There was definite red to the throat markings. A first for me.
So out with the digi-scoping gear and despite the wind and choppy sea got enough of an image to confirm the sighting - unless someone can convince me otherwise.



At the same time I was convinced that I had spotted another diver at least a couple of hundred yards further South, strangely amongst some Scoter, but could not get a good enough image to decide, but there is certainly a pointy bill amongst this lot -

Ringed Plover at St Mary's

During our brief visit to St Mary's on Friday the Ringed Plover was most numerous with groups of 10-12 dotted around the rock ends and a few on the sandy beach.
It was surprising how close they will come if you just stand still for a while

Kirkharle feeding

I've probably said this before but the best ham, mozzarella, and sundried tomato panini I've ever had is at the cafe in Kirharle visitor centre. If I have, then ditto for Saturday.
On the way out there were dozens of Swallow hunting over the stream and surprisingly to me were still feeding young which were perched on the fence waiting.



The road down to Kirkharle -

More at St Mary's

Apart from the Sanderling, Turnstone, and Ringed Plover, there were a handful of Dunlin and the regular Curlew.

St Mary's Turnstone

A Turnstone was having a good feed on the remnants of a shore crab.
This particular bird seemed well ringed on both legs with a white ring above a yellow ring. I've spent some time trying to find some website references with regard to bird rings and how to read them without too much success. Would appreciate any advice on where I should be looking. I have identified one website but it is a bit of a maze to me at the moment .

St Mary's waders

It's a rare visit to St Marys when there is nothing of interest. Arrived there at the bottom of the tide and walked over to the sandy beach which luckily had not had any humans on it for a while since there were quite a few waders doing their thing.
I was particularly pleased to see amongst them these Sanderling even though there were only 4 of them about at the time. Hopefully there will be greater numbers as we get into autumn

Sulphur Tuft

A wander around Gosforth Park NR woodland, produced a pair of Roe Deer, Fox, Sparrow Hawk and an interesting large cluster of Sulpher Tuft - Hypholoma fasciculare
These fungi have greenish yellow gills and tend to cluster on dead wood which is where these were located.
There were few fungi specimen to be found which is probably as a result of extremely dry ground conditions.