River Circuit

Had never had a look around the Lemington Gut area so Saturday morning, with the fog clearing, parked the car in the layby under the A1 on the north side of the river Tyne. Tide was well out and the mudflats at the entrance to Newburn Industrial Park were well populated with Teal, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Curlew and Cormorant in the river. Lemington Gut looks like a place worth putting some time in early next year, with a mix of tidal conditions and trees and undergrowth lining both sides.

Made my way along the riverside path at the Newburn Ind.Estate and there were many more of the same birds along the waterline, with Wren,Chaffinch,Blackbird,Blue Tit, Robin amongst the riverside bushes.
Having sussed out the places to return to I made my way across the river to Derwenthaugh Staithes where again there were Teal, Redshank, Mallard, Little Grebe,Cormorant working the area where the Derwent meets the Tyne.

One last stop on the circuit at Dunston Timber Beach which was almost deserted apart from a few Redshank. But a couple of hundred yards upstream, a pair of Shelduck. Their bright colours contrasting starkly with the river mudbanks. Managed to get the scope on them and got couple of pics.

So not a bad end, together with identifying some new birding locations.