A Long-Expected Visit to Teesside

The Zinc Works Road in Teesside always seemed a rather odd place to go to see Owls, but over the years it has become quite famous for them giving good views there, especially Short-eared Owls. It would be a long way to go just to to see them and there are several places nearer to me where I can, if I'm lucky, find them, but as I was journeying home from Ashington in Northumberland to Tyldesley in Greater Manchester I decided it wouldn't be too much of a detour to call in.

With Hartlepool Power Station in the background, the Short-eared Owls frequent the salt marsh that forms Seaton Common and can appear anywhere in this area.  On my short visit I actually found I had better luck down North Gare Road which runs parallel to Zinc Works Road and eventually on to North Gare breakwater.

There are several lay-bys to pull in a wait along both these roads but I ended up driving to the small free car park along North Gare Road and walking around the area. It's always best to stay in or close to the car in places like this, but as the birds were quite distant most of the time I thought it wouldn't matter being out in the open a little more.

It's a place I shall certainly revisit at some point in the future and hopefully spend a lot longer there without the pressure to get home.

As well as the Owls, there are many other birds on show here and the whole area is part of Teesmouth National Nature Reserve. Unfortunately I didn't have time to investigate further.

White-billed Diver at Druridge Bay Country Park

It was my birthday yesterday and I dipped on this White-billed Diver which was only 15 minutes away from from me at Cresswell Pond in Northumberland. As I was ready to go to see it for a nice birthday present lifer, I got a message that it had flown north - dagnabbit!  Whilst I was out about later I asked a birder if he'd seen it on the sea, but he didn't seem to even know it was here.

So I was really pleased when I discovered that it had been relocated the next day, this time on Ladyburn Lake at Druridge Bay Country Park in Northumberland.  I hurried over there, but I needn't have bothered as it hung around for several days, giving excellent views to the many birders who turned up to see it.