Spotted

Nice White-spotted Bluethroat on the shore at Newbiggin this morning. Can't beat a bit of rubbish to enliven a distant record shot.

Flat...

A week away with work saw me cavorting around Derwent Water - so bonus birds in the form of Osprey, Tawny Owl, Tree Pipit, Common Sandpiper and Redstart were appreciated.

Today I ventured north to Lindisfarne - no camera - batteries flat...

Highlights - female Bluethroat, Western Sub-alpine Warbler and a distant female Dotterel. Fantastic stuff!

On the way back - 1 BNG.

More of the same

Another trip to Hartley / St Mary's this morning - sunny and quieter than yesterday. The bluethroat continues, while 2 yellow-browed warbler were also noted.

Feeling blue...

Headed out early this morning, starting back at the dunes between Blyth and Seaton Sluice - no sign of yesterdays red-backed shrike.

Seaton Sluice appeared quiet - 2 stonechat and the flock of house sparrow... so headed to Hartley to try for yellow-browed warbler on the mounds. Greeted by a pager message advising of a bluethroat at the northern most mound, and a few minutes later were enjoying close views on the track - a good result and my first in the county for several years. Frustratingly only had the bridge camera, and while record shots were possible, the quick reaction focus of the DSLR would have been better...

Back at Seaton Sluice, the hunt for common rosefinch was unsuccessful, but a yellow-browed warbler flew in off the sea...