NORTH EAST
Highlights
A Black Scoter at Cheswick Sands, Northumberland, a Bufflehead (Cresswell Pond NWT) and the wintering Eastern Yellow Wagtail were in the same county. North Yorkshire saw a Long-billed Dowitcher at Bolton-on Swale Lake YWT and nearby areas.
LINCOLNSHIRE
HIGHLIGHTS: A Ring-necked Duck was at Tallington Lakes (13th-19th). A Red-throated Diver was at Deeping High Bank (from 12th), with nine Short-eared Owls there (4th). A Glaucous Gull was at Stallingborough (13th and 28th). An Iceland Gull was there (13th), with others at Rimac (11th-21st) and Manby (13th). An early House Martin flew over Long Sutton (27th).
GIBRALTAR POINT: Highlights included two Hen Harriers (16th), a Merlin (3rd), Barnacle Goose (3rd), Tundra Bean Goose (4th), four Whitefronts (17th), a pale-bellied Brent Goose with the dark-bellied birds (10th), Water Pipits (10th and 13th), 32 Woodcocks (12th), a Mediterranean Gull (12th), four Whooper Swans (13th), Slavonian Grebes (15th and 17th), two Cetti’s Warbler (15th), a Great Northern Diver (15th), Short-eared Owl (21st), an early Sandwich Tern (25th), Red-necked Grebe (25th) and two Lapland Buntings (27th).
OTHER SITES: A Bittern was at Fiskerton Fen, with two at Whisby NP and three at Far Ings. Far Ings also had a Spotted Redshank (10th). Willow Tree Fen had a county record 111 Goosanders. Ten Snow Bunting were at Cleethorpes, with 20 at Saltfleetby. The Scaup remained at Deeping
Lakes (to 23rd), with another at Tallington Lakes (to 16th). A Tundra Bean Goose was at Wainfleet (4th).
Smew were at Baston Pits (7th) and Whisby (16th-22nd). There were 19 Bewick’s Swan at Baston Fen (14th). A Mealy Redpoll was at Doddington Park (from 22nd). The first White Wagtails were at Covenham Reservoir (26th). A Slavonian Grebe was at Chapel St Leonards (from 26th). Josh Hedley
NORTHUMBERLAND
HIGHLIGHTS: A drake American Wigeon was at Big Waters NR (1st-26th), plus an adult Iceland Gull. An adult Eastern Yellow Wagtail was at Prestwick Carr (1st-18th). A Grey Phalarope was at Birling Carrs (8th), and another was at Blyth (8th-9th). A Todd’s Canada Goose was with c.1,800 Pinkfeet at East Chevington NWT (13th-15th), with other sightings at Hadston Carrs (20th) and Druridge Bay CP (21st). Grindon Lough had an adult drake American Wigeon (17th-22nd) and five Whooper Swans (17th). Two White-tailed Eagles went high over Beal (25th). An adult Black Scoter was with Common Scoters and a drake Long-tailed Duck at Cheswick Sands (25th).
BERWICK: A Black Redstart was at Wellington Terrace (11th). There were 28 Curlews and 42 Oystercatchers at Berwick GC (3rd). Calot Shad had a Little Gull (5th), 54 Redshanks (8th), 14 Eiders, 32 Goldeneyes, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 86 Mallards, and four Bar-tailed Godwits (15th). Little Beach had 220 Sanderlings, 46 Ringed Plovers, 52 Dunlin, four Grey Plovers and 48 Turnstones (17th).
Cocklawburn had three Tundra Bean Geese, 18 Pinkfeet, 42 Greylags and 24 Twite (19th), 126 Curlews, three Stonechats and five Reed Buntings (26th), and on the Saltpan Rocks (26th), a Long-tailed Duck, four Common Scoters and five Guillemots. At Loanend, Horncliffe (28th), there were 32 Whooper Swans and 28 Mute Swans. Malcolm Hutcheson