Wilsons Phalarope - Bishop Middleham, Co. Durham - 16th Aug 2007

Following fairly distant into-the-light views at the first attempt around midday, a second attempt late afternoon resulted in excellent scope views of this moulting adult Wilsons Phalarope on an excellent scrape/pool at Castle Lake. Plenty of wader mud ensured plenty of birds present including 5 juv Greenshank, 4 juv Ruff, several Dunlin and Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and a nice adult Yellow Wagtail. Between the two visits, a seawatch off Hartlepool Headland produced four species of Tern (Sandwich, Common, Arctic & Little), plenty of Kittiwake offshore, a light passage of Manx Shearwater > N and 2 Arctic Skua.