Number 3

3rd "bike" red-backed shrike of the year this morning - a female between Blyth and Seaton Sluice on hawthorns alongside the cycleway, 10m north of the dunes car park / 150m south of Glocester Lodge Farm

AGP: Tresco 2006

Had another go for the St Mary's Island American Golden Plover this afternoon, and perhaps got the timing just wrong - as the rising tide reduced time on the island itself and reduced the available rocks beneath the promenade somewhat. Two "closerthanyesterday" views, but insufficient time to get a photography device on the bird in question. Rather frustrating.

Reflecting on this, I wondered how long ago it was since my last AGP... surprised to find it was 2006, a confiding immature on Tresco, Isles of Scilly. It was a sunny, warm day (not unlike today) on 11th October. To say the bird was confiding is an understatement, and it completed a good day on  the island.

The AGP was the final pitstop, having enjoyed an American Robin in the morning (a bird I've never photographed well in the UK... need another go!)

...and between the AR and AGP, a nice Red-backed Shrike  on my favoured autumn shrub-type perch (brambly things) - all in a days birding in the South-West!

Distant

Moderate weekend so far - Spent Saturday on the bike touring Cramlington's finer spots. Still not managing to find garden warbler, but amassing almost 50 species in the bleak town that this is.

The bike was about to get another outing this morning, but news that the male red-backed shrike was showing well at St Mays had me out in the car - camera (and memory card) at the ready.

The shrike was there, but very distant. So again no pictures! Nonetheless 3 so far this week, can't complain.

There's still an afternoon to look forward too - perhaps the bike will get out after all....

Back(ed)

With news of a female red-backed shrike at Cambois this afternoon, and a spot of sunshine, I opted to cycle-twitch my second rbs of the week...

No big camera, just the trusty bridge/compact...

Rather elusive, we had a couple of good views - and a great addition to the bike-list!

On the cards

A decent couple of days bird wise, with Gordon's avocet collected late afternoon on Monday - West Hartford's third record, and second of 2013 - maybe a bird that will no longer be unexpected on the patch.

This afternoon after a brief visit to West Hartford I fell prey of the "twitch" urge and headed north for the cracking male red-backed shrike at East Chevington and then the not so great roosting spoonbill nearby at Hauxley.

On the cards? not exactly, although the camera travelled with me, the memory cards did not. So no pictures!

Pah!

Chesty

A late morning - early afternoon potter up the coast with Mark produced a fair selection, given the time of year. First stop was Cresswell - a Pectoral Sandpiper had been found the day previously, and was still showing today, albeit on the northern edge of the north pool. Record shots only today, but I can't complain as I've had better Pecs' in the past.

Avocet still present at Cresswell along with yellow wagtail, and a bit further north, long-eared owl was only heard today. Marsh harrier were noted in a couple of localities,with both a male and female seen.

No sign of the apparently still present red backed shrike at East Chevington in "early spring" rather than "mid summer" conditions...

Distant Pec Sand

Seeing red, red, red, & not seeing red.

Suitably refreshed from the difficult early morning visit to West Hartford, Mark and I headed north on a planned casual potter in the search of migrants. However, the day was not as straight forward as it had initially seemed.None of that "look for our own birds" lark, its much easier to go and see what others have put effort in for!

So Lynemouth was our first stop, and two very nice red-rumped swallow were pointed out over the sewage works (found by Ian I believe - nice one).

Pretty much always distant the two overshoots were mixed in with healthy numbers of sand martin, house martin and barn swallow. A county tick for Mark, so a great start.

We had one brief close flypast, and all I could manage was a record shot of the bird veering off... not as photogenic as the Wallsend Swallow Pond bird a few years back...

There was some interesting conversation about antics at another site earlier in the morning. Suffice to say the culprit remains blissfully uneducated.

Next up, more watching birds that others had found. A cracking male whinchat near Cresswell was a year tick, while garaganey continue to elude.

Further north still, a stunning male red-backed shrike near Hauxley gave distant views but was much appreciated by all.

Chips consumed at Amble then up the coast for the final "red"... not so lucky this time the red-spotted bluethroat at Football Hole had last been seen a couple of hours before our arrival, no doubt disturbed by a horse or perhaps tresspassing tape wielding idio,,,,, whatever....

Red-back: September

St Mary's Island hosted this immature red-backed shrike in September. A very obliging bird.