Flamborough Sun day

I headed off to Flamborough this morning, after all the rain at the end of last week there had been a few early drift migrants along the coast and a Red Backed Shrike remained down Old Fall Hedge, it wasn’t a very showy individual though and disappeared for long periods, clouds of Butterflies around as well in the nice sunny weather including a few Painted Ladies. Went off to Thornwick Pools next where a Little Stint and Wood Sandpiper showed extremely well as they fed close to the hide, the angle of the sun made the lighting a bit harsh though, then with nothing else turning up and it being a nice sunny afternoon I decided to have a couple of hours at Bempton, plenty of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars around but I was a bit surprised that all the Auks have gone already not even any sat on the sea, I finished the day with a late afternoon seawatch off the Head but it proved very quiet, the best of it being a single Arctic Skua  north and a Whimbrel south.

Imm Red Backed Shrike

also some rather smart looking juv Whitethroats but little else

plenty of Butterflies though

Ruff

adult Little Stint

Redshank

and Wood Sandpiper

Spotting a rare Crake

I went out after work on Thursday to Blacktoft Sands for a Spotted Crake found there at the start of the week, they used to be a regular Autumn bird but have become rather scarce in recent years, always nice to see, it was showing well this afternoon from First Hide in the company of one or two Water Rails, also a good selection of Waders present although no big numbers as yet, a bit dull this afternoon so the Harriers weren’t particularly active, just a couple of Marsh made brief sorties, no sign of the juv Montagu’s that has been showing recently but the female came in early evening, double figures of Little Egrets around the site now.

a bit distant so just record shots

juv Water Rail

plus Egrets

and a few Waders

Showy Sab's and the disappearing acts

Out with Mark today and we went over to Pennington Flash in Greater Manchester where an adult Sabine’s Gull had been found in the week and had been showing well, it was still present this morning and still showing well, a great bird to try out my new camera gear with. After a good session with it we moved on and up to Preston where a first summer Ring Billed Gull has been hanging around the Docks, typically though it had flown off half an hour before we got there, we hung around for an hour or so but it didn’t return so we decided to head south to try for the long staying Red Footed Falcon at Chatterley Whitfield, long staying that is until today, that had also done a bunk and even the nearby Black Redstart was hiding when we went to look for it, oh well you can’t win em all as they say.

striking wing pattern

often too close