From Warkworth Picnic Site Car Park we walked down the track to the north side of the Estuary flanking the Old Water, scanning reed bed edges and pools. The patch was heavily laden with festive dog walkers striding or lumbering depending no doubt on the quantity of turkey that had been consumed.
We managed to wander to the estuary with few birds to note, Reed Bunting, three pairs of Stonechat, on loose territories I'd say and Chaffinch.
When we had just started to head back our attention was taken with Rock Pipit calls and a couple of birds flushing and then heading back to ground cover, as we studied these birds a lovely flock of Twite dropped onto the salt marsh in front of us, 19 or so birds. We had some really nice views of them sat out on dead wood and also running and feeding on the ground. Photographs aren't the best but the views were excellent.
There were always Twite wintering in this area historically but in recent years they have been scarce, nice little Christmas surprise.
Twite |
Winter Reed Bunting |
Merry Christmas....