Weekend Whinchat

Went out last night and found a stonechat (just one) which had gone tonight. In it's place was this single whinchat. What a pathetic migration we are having when all we can find are single birds, a sorry state of affairs.

Sunday bits

What a difference a day makes! Well Sunday dawned with not a lot coming on the pager (despite stong easterly winds and rain), so we headed off to seawatch at Hutoft on the Lincs coast. 10 bar-tailed godwits were feeding on the golf course along with this kestrel as we drove into the car park. Highlights of the afternoon were arctic, pom and bonxie, 3 red throated divers, common scoters, guillemots, sandwich and common terns and 8 sanderling along with 100's of passing ganets. A pleasant afternoon, keeping out of the wind which was bitterly cold. Karen added a new 2012 bird making this year's tally so far a pathetic 223 !

Spurn Point

This has to be one of the best places on earth. A wonderful birding spot with a magical feel to it. It will surely disappear soon as the sea and the river are getting ever closer and will definately take the end of Spurn. We were lucky today as the lighthouse was open for a resident artist to display her work. This meant we could climb to the very top, not an east task but well worth it. The views were stunning. It was quite busy at the top and with limited space meant photography wasn't easy. It didn't help us as we got a text whilst at the top to say a red breasted flycatcher was showing well in the pub car park........you can guess which option Simon chose!

One of those fantastic Spurn days........

 

Well, we got up this morning with the thoughts of going to Norfolk as all the birds seemed to be there until the early morning finds at Spurn started to come on the pager. So off to Spurn we went and so glad we did. Within 2 minutes of parking the car we had yellow browed warbler closely followed by red breasted flycatcher. The birds just kept on coming with yellow browed warblers aplenty, garden warblers, pied flycatchers, redstarts, whinchats, a stonechat, short eared owl, 3 pale bellied brent geese, grey phalaropes and a brambling. All topped off with the opening of the lighthouse where the views from the top were amazing. Pity we didn't see the corncrake or red backed shrike but you can't win them all! One of those magical birding days in excellent company.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper at Toft Reservoir, Lincs. So nice to see one so close and not bothered by us at all.