Barred Warbler

as Barred Warblers go this one was quite obliging -- part of a good Lincs coast day with Great Grey Shrike, Wryneck, Barred Warbler, a flock of 3 Richard's Pipits, 40 or so Lapland Buntings and Grey Phalarope, Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes at Covenham Res

coastal migrants

the recent fall had big numbers of continental Song Thrushes and Robins; also Chiffchaff from today and an appalling Wryneck shot -- my excuse is everyone had already walked past it when I picked it up after which it was very flighty no doubt due to the number of numpties chasing it around the dunes -- moral if you find a bird and want it to live don't put it on the info networks

Red-necked Grebe and its still terrible weather

Red-breasted Flycatcher

after nearly 8 hours of slog that produced every migrant on the coast excepting anything remotely rare or scarce we gave in and went to see the Red-breasted Flycatcher at Donna Nook -- by then it was as bright as 7pm in December but the bird was very obliging -- all shots Canon 5DII and 400 5.6 on 800 or 1600ISO at 200th to 500th second hand held -- it brought up two pellets while I was watching it

cover photo in Norwegian journal

an article on the Varanger Soft-plumaged Petrel appears in the Norwegian Journal Felt Ornitologen along with lots of other exciting photos -- one of my images graces the cover and brings back happy memories from the far north

Red-necked Grebe on the patch

having a British list that is minimalist I decided to forego the delights of Blakeney Point and stuck local -- after a new Osprey, Peregrine a couple of Marsh Harriers, 3000 Black-tails and a couple of Gannets ND found a juvenile Red-necked Grebe on the local pits; it was being harassed by the local Great Crested Grebes on occasions hence the running shots-- it was a great bird and a fly-by Curlew Sand plus 2 Ruffs and incoming flocks of Snipe bode well -----but the weather was terrible with constant rain / drizzle and appalling light -- and tomorrow is the day to find the really big one so watch out for those Gray's Grasshopper Warbler shots!

Osprey AK day 15 on the patch

in a gale force northerly spent several hours perched in a big hawthorn being harassed by Magpies at one point -- one became five and they were even tugging at its tail as it sat ---