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.

Western Sub-alpine Warbler II

Feeding under the willow... always on the move

Western Sub-alpine Warbler, Holy Island

Gave in to the pressure to leave Cramlington and bird elsewhere this afternoon... a report of sub-alpine warbler niggled from 10:30, and by 13:15 I crumbled - packed up the car and headed north. As I reached Fenham-le-moor confirmation came through, and it was with a little added foot pressure that the tick-mobile advanced to Chare Ends.

The warbler, a dapper male, visited the willow a few times during my three and a quarter hour vigil, and was by all accounts tricky to photograph out in the "open". I managed a few shots, of which more may appear tomorrow.  It was 22 years since my last Northumberland sub-alp (which also happened to be on Holy Island)...

Canon 1DIII / 500mm IS / 2.0 extender