All Weather Birders Get Drenched!

25^th Sept.  I thought Tom had slept in this morning and was about to go back to bed for an hour just as he arrived after having had to divert from flooded roads.  Killingworth Lake had flooded the road.  Several other roads were closed.  We headed to Tynemouth where after some patience we managed to locate the Barred Warbler.  Unfortunately there was no sign of a Red-Breasted Flycatcher although we were teased a bit until we realised the flycatcher we had glimpsed was in fact a Pied Flycatcher (it’s been around sometime apparently), which eventually gave a good sighting.  We thought there may be two Barred Warblers, but it seems the second bird seen moving through the hedge was likely a Garden Warbler.  There were numbers of Wheatear about.  Wigeon were seen flying south at the mouth of the river.

Next stop was St Mary’s Island where we began to find numbers of birders, including Holywell Birding and Crammy Birder, drawn out by the conditions.  Up to now we had been lucky and the morning had been on the whole dry!

Numbers of Redstart were seen as we walked along behind the wetland area.  Unfortunately I only saw them briefly.  We where hoping to find the Yellow Browed Warbler, but never did (I believe Phil saw it).  A Yellow Browed Warbler gave me the run around last year and I eventually found one so hope to do the same this year.  We did find two more Pied Flycatchers, a rather late Swift (although I note the last one seen in Northumberland in 2010 was on 7^th Oct) and a Goldcrest that kept me thinking I’d found the Yellow Browed Warbler.  A single Chiffchaff was also seen.

The heavens eventually opened, the mist thickened and the wind became stronger and I was so glad not to be on that sea today!  Having said that we couldn’t have been much wetter had we been on the sea.  Tom’s boots weren’t letting water in, they were letting water out!  I did get some very good sightings of some of the Redstarts as the rain dripped off my nose.  We eventually made for home with only one remaining birder facing the conditions.

We heard that Ring Ouzel had been seen at Tynemouth and that a Corncrake had been flushed onto the pathway at St Mary’s today.

I don't need sunny skies for thing I have to do, cause I stay home the whole day long and think of you
As far as I'm concerned each day's a rainy day, so It might as well rain until September
Carole King