A Linc to winter Grebes

I made a trip over the Humber Bridge into North Lincs and Cleethorpes CP where a showy Red Necked Grebe has taken up residence on the lake there, as a bonus two Slavonian Grebes had also dropped in last Friday, all three still present and showing well although the light was dire on a miserable drizzly morning, I checked out nearby Humberston Fitties next but apart from a couple of Little Egrets and a load of Dark Bellied Brents on the Saltmarsh it was fairly quiet. I headed back towards Far Ings calling in at Bonby Carrs on the way, the next village down from Worlaby I had heard a couple of Short Eared Owls were wintering there, it didn’t look good at first the rain had become more persistent and I wasn’t even sure I was looking over the right area however I decided to give it half an hour and have a bit of lunch by which time I had been joined by some Birding mates from West Yorks and with more eyes and the rain faring up we first found a Peregrine sat in a tree, a Buzzard went over and was later seen sat on a grassy bank and finally a distant Owl was picked up hunting over an area  looking back towards Worlaby, while watching this bird a second Owl got up then as luck would have it one of them flew over to our side and landed on a post, camera in the car I drove up the road and managed to get some pics, a bit further along the lane a load of Finches and Thrushes dropping into a field included several Corn Buntings. I ended the day at Far Ings where I saw my third Slavonian Grebe for the day but otherwise it was a bit quiet, a nice little Starling murmuratiom towards dusk attracted the attention of a few Raptors and as always several Cetti’s Warblers sang from the reeds.

a nice showy Red Necked at one end of the lake

and a couple of Slavs down the other end, feeding amongst the reeds at first to escape the attentions of Gulls

they eventually came out into the open

and showed very well

two for the price of one, keeping an eye on a passing Coot

Little Grebe at Humberston Fitties

bit of luck with this one

wasn't ready when it left its post then it was always flying away

Far Ings Slav

bit awkward photographing through a hedge