Saturday was a very early start and John A and I headed up to Beadnell Flash to check if the Lesser Yellowlegs was still there. After a couple of minutes of looking we found it, unfortunately it was the same second as the rain started and it was well hissing down within a couple of minutes. We hung around for 30 minutes hoping it would stop but it actually got a bit worse so the odd pic I took went straight into the Recycle Bin. We then headed onto Budle Bay where we spent an hour looking, drinking coffee and eating sweets. Couple of photos but the rain once again was still coming down with the odd slackening off for a minute or so.
The rain got slightly heavier so we decided to go and do some proper birding (we went and sat in one of the Spindlestone Hides - at least we were dry) and watched quite a number of birds including Nuthatch, Woodpecker, Tree Sparrows and a pair of Yellowhammers along with a couple of Roe Deer which made an appearance on the opposite side of the lake.
We stopped at Stag Rocks but it was still raining so not a good view so we then moved on and headed back to Seahouses for a spot of lunch and after purchasing the most expensive Fishcake and Chips I have ever bought we positioned ourselves conveniently watching the flash/pond just North of Seahouses and proceeded to eat a great fishcake but John commented first saying he was not impressed with the chips which I was also finding dry and seemed old so needless to say I wont be frequenting Neptunes for a while. We then headed back to Stag Rocks where there were 3 rafts of Common Scoter viewable from the entrance to the Golf Club. We sat and watched them and a couple of dozen or so Gannets that headed South. Also a few Purple Sandpiper were on the rocks along with Redshanks and Oystercatchers but not much else.
One of the three rafts of Scoters
We then dropped into Foxton Bends where a couple of Swans were having a bit of a tussle and then the tussle got quite serious after a couple of minutes. The following video just shows part of what happened as just after I stopped the video I was convinced one of the Swans was about to be killed as it got out of the water and onto the bank when the more dominant dragged it behind some gorse where it stood on its neck for a couple of minutes then went of with its mate who had been watching from close quarters. The defeated one got into the water a few minutes later then swam a short distance and got out onto the bank and after a short "preen" went to sleep. It did move around after a short nap and seemed quite compus mentus. Nature is extremely beautiful but can also be extremely violent also.
Time for home but we dropped in at Druridge where there was a very close Snipe and at Lynemouth Flash 3 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were feeding.
Even with all the rain it was still an excellent day out but will remember my phone next time. Thanks for the company John
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