Dodgy geese continue, Crane in vain.

Alas the sandhill crane was an impossibility this week as I was stuck at work (There have been some stunning images of it taken near Holywell).

Saturday morning saw an ill fated trip to Budle Bay to see if the common crane was about - it wasn't.

Two ross's geese at Monks House did little to compensate, and the sun refused to shine.

Newton was very quiet, with only a couple of robin ticking next to the tin church, a few goldcrest and a single treecreeper...

Three dips and a BG

The plan was quite simple for Saturday morning - head up early morning to Holy Island, tick off the red-rumped swallow in the village and then have leisurely potter to the Lough for crippling views of the male bearded tit. We'd then head for Budle to take in the snow goose before heading to Stag Rocks for coffee and a sea watch.

That was the plan.

The reality was slightly different. Route was accomplished bar all the birds listed above!

No sign of the red-rump in the village from first light, and a walk to the Lough only provided a few mute swan and bathing herring gull. Tides were unfavourable so we had to bee off island by mid morning, and our stops along Budle Bay only provided barnacle and grey-lag geese. Maybe the snow goose is back with the others at Fenham-le-moor ;-)

Stag Rocks was a little better with the black guillemot detectable by binocular, and photographed (albeit very badly) with the 1.4 and 2.0 extenders stacked onto the 500mm. While we were watching the bg a kingfisher flew north, over the "stag" rock and round into Budle Bay. Half a dozen long-tailed duck were also present, along with red-throated diver, shag and eider. Could not see any slavonian grebe...