NORTHUMBERLAND

HIGHLIGHTS: A Little Bittern was at Waren Mill (5th). The Farne Islands held Rustic Buntings (14th and 25th-26th). A Rose-coloured Starling was in Ashington (17th-19th). A Blyth’s Reed Warbler was at Low Newton (27th). NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND: A Bluethroat was on the Farnes (12th). Two Red-backed Shrikes were at Low Newton (13th), plus a Firecrest (18th). Holy Island logged Red-rumped Swallow (17th), three Red-backed Shrikes (25th-28th), Icterine Warbler (25th-26th), Red-breasted Flycatcher (26th-27th), two Marsh Warblers (26th-29th) and Common Rosefinch (27th-28th). SOUTH NORTHUMBERLAND: The Glossy Ibis and six Garganeys remained at Druridge Pools. A Glaucous Gull was at the Coquet Estuary (1st-19th). Grindon Lough held a Long-billed Dowitcher (2nd-6th), American Wigeon (5th-31st) and Red-necked Phalarope (10th-16th). A ‘Channel’ Wagtail was at Hemscott Hill (7th). Six Dotterel were near Hallington Reservoir (8th-13th). A Crane flew over Big Waters (10th). A Bluethroat sang on Coquet Island (15th). Waders at Druridge Pools included three Little Stints (12th-27th), three Curlew Sandpipers (21st-25th) and Pectoral Sandpiper (26th-31st). A Red-backed Shrike (24th) and Marsh Warbler (27th) were at Druridge Bay CP. Two Black Terns were at Rising Sun CP (27th). BERWICK: West Ord had around 350 Sand Martins (2nd), plus Swallows, House Martins, and a flock of 78 Goosanders, mostly males. There were 12 Swifts and a Garden Warbler there (13th), and two Grey Partridges and a male Yellow Wagtail (27th). A male Peregrine was at East Ord (13th). Cocklawburn Pond had Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler (4th), while Cocklawburn had five Turnstones (4th), 44 Sanderlings, eight Ringed Plovers and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers (10th), and 34 Linnets (30th). A male Goldeneye hung on at New Water Heugh to 13th at least. Little Beach had a Tree Pipit through (6th), and 48 Ringed Plovers (27th). Seawatching from Berwick Pier (13th) brought c.330 Guillemots per hour heading north, 900 Gannets per hour (16th), 700 Guillemots per hour (26th), and 750 Guillemots per hour (27th). At the Tweed Estuary (17th), there was a Whooper Swan with 184 Mute Swans, four Shelducks, 14 Eider, a Goldeneye, seven Curlew, 28 Kittiwakes, 1,194 Herring Gulls, and six Sandwich Terns. Calot Shad recorded a pair of Shovelers (2nd), 78 Mute Swans (6th), 26 Ringed Plovers, eight Curlew and 82 Mute Swans (27th), and 52 Kittiwakes (31st). Fifty-five Oystercatchers were at Cargies Cove (19th). A Red-throated Diver was at Spittal Bay (19th). At Needles Eye (24th), a count revealed 1,174 Kittiwake nests and 320 birds on the sea, 238 Guillemot nests and 260 birds on the sea, 42 Razorbill nests and 10 birds on the sea, 26 Fulmar nests, three Shag nests, 22 Herring Gull nests, and six Puffins. Jonathan Farooqi, Malcolm Hutcheson