Day down in Druridge

Spent a very cold day birding at Hauxley Reserve  (before it closes for the year) and at Druridge Bay Country Park on Thursday.

Nothing to get the heart racing at Hauxley. Numerous (well, about 15) Snipe feeding on the islands, well away from the water's edge so easy(ish) to spot and presumably enjoying the earthworms. The usual good numbers of Wigeon and Tufted Duck which sometimes looked a little skittish what with an Otter not that far away. On the middle island, a Lapwing looked like it might just have been on very early eggs (?).

At Druridge CP we had a good view of a male Peregrine. On the pool (the middle one with the hides) the highlights: Whooper Swan (about 12) mixed in with Mute Swan; Black-necked Grebe; an obliging Sparrowhawk sitting on fence; four Great Crested Grebe and a splendid sinensis Cormorant. One of our party saw off in the distance a raptor that he thought might just have been one of the returning Marsh Harriers. It went down in reed bed and was not seen again.

Cheers
Tom