St Mary's Lighthouse, Whitley Bay

On Saturday 1st November 2014, I went for a walk around St. Mary's Island near Whitley Bay. After parking the car and walking towards the wetlands area the sky was filled with calls of Golden Plover slowly coasting into land in the nearby fields.

I was looking for migrants and in particular a Yellow browed Warbler after one was spotted the previous day by a fellow birder. Scanning the trees, I found Goldfinch, Wren, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird, but there was no sign of the warbler.

After taking some photos and looking at the birds on the shoreline, I returned to the trees for another search. After hearing a number of high-pitched calls I headed down a path towards a cluster of empty bird tables. Waiting and scanning, paid dividends when out of the corner of my eye a small warbler was working along the hedge beside me. For a moment it stopped and rested on a branch, allowing me to have a good look at a Yellow browed Warbler.

Along the shoreline, there were a good numbers of Turnstone, Dunlin, Redshank, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper and Ringed Plover.

In the wetland, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Teal, Mallard and Gadwall were all feeding.