an advanced juvenile / first-winter Grey Phalarope at Alkborough earlier in the week; I literally had 30 minutes before we set off for the Lakes and the light was non-existent but went for 2000 ISO that produced 1/250th second -- certainly have better Grey Phal images but a small highlight in a very very dull autumn
distant for the camera -- herewith also my amazing artwork on the juvenile at Saltholme in August 1982 -
one of two juveniles taking advantage of the warm day and the dragonfly bonanza yesterday -
a successful breeding season means there are a lot of Bearded Tits about this autumn and yesterday a lot of gritting was taking place - tricky getting the flock in focus but at least 30 birds in this one group and at least 150 seen yesterday in total
when a Green warbler turned up at Buckton I followed the crowds having never seen the species and being a real fan of the genus phylloscopus but the bird was to say the least elusive and in 17 hours over 3 days I managed to see it for perhaps two minutes - not the greatest introduction to a new bird but the adjacent Albatross added a little by way of compensation and it was great to watch it drifting about over the sea for a change in its own environment;
Seldom see Grasshopper Warblers at this time of year though I have found them still feeding young in September and have seen local birds in early October so some are clearly still around; this bird was in a hedge with a party of Whitethroats and a Willow Warbler; it was very tame and seemed to be unmoved by my presence so presumably a juvenile
another less than exciting day on the Lincs coast with 4 Pied Flycatchers the best of the dire bushes while the sea was typically very quiet but at one point three skuas came north well out then suddenly turned and flew inland and over the beach where they all landed but at least 600m away; one got up and one of the remaining two mobbed it briefly clearly showing the size difference of Artic and Long-tailed Skuas; the adult Arctic headed off out to sea but the two juvenile Long-tails sat down again then as I got a bit nearer they flew down the beach but landed again picking at debris on the beach; before I could get any reasonable distance they then picked up and headed out to sea briefly being mobbed by a Sandwich Tern; both dark morph birds but one clearly better patterned than the other darker bird -- poor distant shots but nice bird ion what seems to have been a good breeding season for Long-tails
