Geltsdale on Boxing Day ... diverse ducks on the Tarn ... Long-tailed Tits in expanded range ...

As the early morning mist hung in the Tyne Gap a vocal flock of 70 Pink-footed Geese winged their way low over Hallbankgate as they headed eastwards ...

,,, then on Tindale Tarn duck numbers were looking good with some Wigeon swimming out of the reeds by the screen ...

... all now looking very smart ...

... and some of the Teal were close by also ...

A male Pochard lingered among the many Tufted Ducks ...

... and a male Goldeneye showed its eponymous eye well even in the indifferent winter light ...

Along the Howgill Beck towards Howgill a feeding flock of tits was in the Alders and Willows ... several Long-tailed Tits were scattered through this group ...

... presumed to be of the British race A.c.rosaceus they certainly showed a complete lateral crown-stripe and narrow white central crown-stripe ... the shade of the underparts seemed to vary significantly with attitude ... ( a search of images of the central / western race A.e.europaeus showed wide variation with some being remarkably similar to A.e.rosaceus ) ...

The Bird Atlas 2007-11 shows widespread gains in distribution since the previous 1981-84 survey ...

The map below shows the Winter Relative Abundance form the 2007-11 survey and highlights the concentration of the population in the SE of Britain ... the tetrad at Geltsdale is in an area of very low abundance ...

... viewed at Tetrad level this becomes more clear ...

This indication of a range expansion since the 2007-12 survey in Cumbria must show a welcome continuation of the good fortunes of this delightful bird in Britain ...

Some December birds ... in Cumbria and Cambria ... American Royal Tern ... and some other nice birds ...

The American Royal Tern at Lligwy Bay, Anglesey was undoubtedly something of a highlight ... found on the 10th December, it remained through the next day but was not seen thereafter ...

... it gave some reasonably close fly-by views as it commuted between the headlands on either side of the bay ... and some rather more distant views as it flew round just off either headland ... it became very easy to pick out even at long range with its strikingly white mantle and inner wing and surprisingly dark outer wing ...

... when it flew towards the beach in the bay the impressively large orange bill looked almost incongruous ...

Back in Cumbria and the Workington / Flimby flock of Mediterranean Gulls which still had an unusually high count of 28 birds in mid-November had finally dropped to a single adult by the start of December ... 

A look at St Helen's Beach which often holds Mediterranean Gulls ... and the cupboard was bare ... but the mix of muddy sand, rock and seaweed there can pull in other species ... a strange looking Carrion Crow with extensive white in the wing flew lazily by ...

... and the waders which are often quite diverse included some very attractive Golden Plovers ... just lit up a little in the weak winter sun ...

... in the fading light a couple of adult Whooper Swans winged their way south just offshore ... always an inspiring sight to see birds like this on the move ...

The wintering Barnacle Geese in the Anthorn / Cardurnock area of The Solway had included a Todd's Canada Goose which eluded me on several visits with the Barnacle Goose flock sometimes in inaccessible undulating ground and sometimes dispersing widely ... the search did provide quite a bit of interest though ... and some lovely views ...

... the three leucistic Barnacle Geese that have frequented the Solway in recent winters were present and remaining close together ... on another occasion there was a different and much whiter leucistic Barnacle Goose ... and then another atypical Barnacle Goose with a strikingly pale mantle but with otherwise normal plumage was among the flock ...

... and a bird with a superficial resemblance to a dark morph Snow Goose mingled among the Barnacle Geese ...

... both the bill and legs had a pink / grey mottled pattern suggestive of mixed parentage with presumably Barnacle Goose and, judging by the small bill, possibly Ross's Goose being in the mix ... 

... it was not made particularly welcome by the other birds ...

Back on the Old Patch ... it's Teesmouth ... with Taiga Bean Geese and a Long-eared Owl ...

The much predicted storms due to sweep the country today did not hamper a brief tour around some of the sites where I was introduced to proper birding as an early teenager ...

... the Zinc Works Road which we would walk along to gain access to The North Gare after leaving the bus on the Seaton Carew road has changed only a little ...

... the rough grassland of Seaton Common that lies just to the north of the road still holds significant flocks of wildfowl and waders and today feeding Curlews and Wigeon were scattered across the ground ... some by the small pools and wet areas and some among the winter remains of thistle beds ...

... then a small group of six Bean Geese flew in from the north and settled ... these were Taiga Bean Geese ... and as they emerged from a slight hollow in the land they gave some nice views ...

... their characteristically long necks and long slender bills stood out as clear features that made then distinct from Tundra Bean Geese that are more familiar to us in Northern England ... a real treat to see this form away from their more traditional wintering areas in Scotland and Norfolk ...

When the RSPB established its reserve at Saltholme a few decades ago there was a general feeling that we birders would have our access to areas such as Back Saltholme restricted ... we could no longer park in the little triangle along the southern road and walk in to that part of the marsh that had hosted Marsh Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper and other exciting birds in recent times ...

... and yet today the new tracks that run through to Haverton Hill allow us to get to an area of wet scrub that I certainly knew nothing of in those early days ... and this is where three Long-eared Owls were roosting today - one of which showed very well in a lax privet bush while the winter sun shone through the scant foliage ...