June 29

Whilst some will have been distracted by the ongoing listing soap opera and others will be doing dragons and butterflies mid-summer slips gently over and return passage has kicked in. Castle Island has now got 20 years of proven pedigree when it comes to waders if the water levels are decent and the amount of exposed mud is beginning to look good after the recent rain.

2011 will be remembered as an excellent year for Spoonbills in Northumberland, probably the best on record, and hopefully an indicator for future years. Three this afternoon at Castle Island, all un-ringed at least one of which was an immature was a good start just after midday.

Waders included a male Ruff, first reported yesterday, 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 Green Sandpipers were initially well spread; though by the time I called back late afternoon were all at the west end where a large area of mud is currently exposed.

 

Enthused I headed up into Druridge Bay first to Cresswell, hoping for something nice along the northern edge of the pool. Sadly the waders I found weren't quite what I had hoped for.

 

There was a further three dogs out of shot, six in total. They weren't too keen on leaving when asked either and  we had a frank exchange of views in the car park, though I doubt anything I said permeated the halo the madam was wearing.

Wader-less I moved on up to East Chevington and remained wader-less though a single Roseate Tern made up for it. I shot down to North Blyth on high tide to count the wader roost and whilst the birds here are probably all fairly local, numbers have increased 50% in 6 days indicating the ongoing return to the coast. Roll on July.