A Day of Abbreviations

Well, at long last I was able to get the camera out and take some pictures. Saturday 16th January, Glyn, Richard and myself spent the day in Cleveland, around Hartlepool and Saltholme, favourite areas of ours. Side-tracking slightly, “Birders” are always trying to find ways and means of abbreviating birds names, so here’s a few to be going on with. During the day we managed to see Glauc, Merg, LEO, SEO and a few Shore Larks, amongst others, however, I’m not sure what the abbreviation is for a Shore Lark.

A juvenile Glaucous Gull, (Glauc) a particularly dark and well marked individual, had been frequenting the area of Hartlepool known as Jacksons Landing. When we arrived it was showing well and then did so for a couple of hours before it disappeared. There was also a small flock of nine Red-breasted Mergansers  (Mergs) in the harbour. The area was a good place to get familiar with all ages of Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull in particular.

We then made our way to look for a small flock of three Shore Lark. They had been regularly seen just north of Hartlepool Headland at the Old Spion Cop Jewish Cemetery. We eventually found them and had some stunning views in the afternoon sunshine. We then decided to try for a Long-eared Owl  (LEO) at Saltholme and after some time searching, soon discovered it in it’s daytime roost amongst a dense area of scrub and bushes. Finally we spent some time watching a Short-eared Owl  (SEO) hunting near Seaton Snook. All in all a great day, a few good birds and a few year ticks to boost my year list to 93.

Glaucous Gull – Juvenile – Above 7 images – Jackson’s landing, Hartlepool – Tony Davison©

Red-breasted Merganser – A pair, part of a flock of nine birds – Jackson’s Landing, Hartlepool – Tony Davison©

Shore Lark – Above 5 images – Jewish Cemetery, Hartlepool – A party of 3 were present – Tony Davison©

Long-eared Owl – Saltholme, Cleveland – At a daytime roost – Tony Davison© – Pity about the birds roosting position. Branches in front of it spoilt the picture.