23rd - 29th Here and There

A run through to Cresswell and Druridge on the 23rd an 27th for the Smew and another go at trying to photograph the Otter, while at Cresswell we where informed of the impending replacement of the Hide for a new one a boat was placed beside the hide not really sure of what it was for the hide was full on both occasions its going to be a miss while out of action still a couple of Ruddy Darters in the sunny sheltered front of the hide a single Whooper Juvenile , Long Tailed Duck, 4 Scaup, Druridge the Otter showed well both times and the Kingfisher also although some way off not a lot else to report I suppose you take for granted the thousands of Geese ,Golden Plover, Wigeon, etc: when you see them most days there where three Ruff in the nearby field , I also went around the local tracks of Blyth to Holywell, St Mary's Island, Three parties of Bullfinch , and roving flocks of Tits & Goldcrests loads of Red Legged Partridges around tried to hide as one approached along a field edge with camera poised but it took flight before I could get it ,cycled around the corner and about 8 ran along the road in front of me about 30 seen in all with only 4 Greys, how long will it be before you have to travel to get a year tick, one Little Owl , three Great Spotted Woodpeckers , in a field near the Dene several hundred Black Headed Gulls where following the plough the next day replaced by a flock of Linnets and 10 Pied Wagtails picking over what was left, nothing out of the ordinary at St Mary's. although I did see a report of the Barred Warbler again , four or five hundred Golden Plover in with a couple of hundred Lapwings off the links road but the highlight was a Peregrine over the old caravan park now posh estate in the making at Blyth. The numbers of large Gulls building up in the harbour.