Skuas, Huttoft Bank

 

Our first stop of the day was Seaview Farm on the Lincs coast where Simon soon had our first Pied Flycatcher of the autumn found so the day was off and running. The noise of a delivery of logs to the new holiday cottage soon put paid to birding on this lane so we headed to Rimac to look at nowt ! 

Next stop was Huttoft Bank to seawatch as the tide came in at 4pm. A brilliant few hours with Arctic, Long Tailed, Great and Pom Skuas passing. A guillemot sat on the sea with the occasional head of a seal popping up. A marsh harrier flew out to sea and didn't return ! Hundreds of sandwich terns that never stopped. 

Looking at the sea has made me long to go on another cruise and get me posh frocks out ! So already got an Alaska and beyond cruise priced up, and bird list printed ! 

Skuas and Scoters, Huttoft, Lincs

 

A couple of visits last week to Huttoft to see what comes past on the high tide, with a gusty northerly wind, we had plenty to keep us occupied. Half a dozen skuas on both visits (Arctic and Long-tailed) were the highlights. 

Long-tailed Skua, Hatfield Moors

I can't begin to tell you how far we walked for this bird tonight, miles and miles. From the car park it was about an hours walk but what made it worse was that we had walked a fair chunk of it earlier this morning! Still, a quality bird to end the weekend off with which has been crammed with birds from start to finish - top notch !