Sub-standard

News of a sub-alpine warbler at Druridge brightened the end of another week of early shift - Phil and I arrived mid-afternoon in the mist and were rewarded with a fleeting glimpses in the buckthorns.

Sub-standard picture of the sub-alpine warbler through the mist

A little later the active warbler headed north up the dunes, and gave frustratingly obscured views in a lone hawthorn just off the old mining access road...

Damn those pesky leaves...

The good birding continues... it will be interesting to see what the weekend brings. Or not.

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

Sub-alp: September

This sub-alpine warbler performed well at Trow Quarry (Co Durham) on 8th September.