Garden Goldcrest

 

Spurn

 Hundreds of Goldcrest and Rewing bobbing Jack Snipe close Red throated Diver, lovely first winter Caspian Gull and a glimpse of a Pallas warbler were the highlights

Firecrest

Got a brief view of the long staying Firecrest this lunchtime at Silkstone Sewage Works as it mixed with a group of Goldcrest. Too quick for a photo and I didnt have time to stay longer. Great to see only half an hour from home

Norfolk Rarities

An amazing day in Norfolk yesterday. Red-flanked Bluetail , Isabeline probable Daurian Shrike in Holkham Pines plus 3 Firecrest and hundreds of Goldcrest. Blyth's Reed Warbler in Well's Wood and Olive-backed Pipit on Muckleburgh Hill. Three lifers on a single day hasn't happened since our Cornwall trip. Brilliant!

Spurn

Quick dash to Spurn on my free Wednesday afternoon produced good views of  Dunlin feeding close to shore, Firecrest, Jack Snipe, many Goldcrests and the American Golden Plover

Garden Birds

Some good species being recorded in the garden over the last few days. Lesser Redpoll seen only twice this year. Also an interesting partial leucistic Goldfinch. Daily Goldcrest is a real joy. Nice to see a Robin frequenting a nest box for the first time. I hope she makes it her home this spring

Pomarine Skua and Great Grey Shrike

Yesterday me and Dave went birding in West Lancashire. First off was the juvenile Pomarine Skua at Pilling. Great close views of a great seabird. Also present were a flock of around 100 Twite and an adult Mediterraean Gull. Next up were all 3 species of swans at  near Upper Thurnham. It was really nice to see a small group of Bewick Swans a species that eluded us last year and are only present in small numbers in the North of England. We finished off seeing the long staying Great Grey Shrike at Lytham moss.
At home in the garden I am seeing a Goldcrest daily probably the same bird that came last winter and spotted a single Lesser Redpoll a few days ago. Lets hope he returns with his friends!

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (Blythi)

Lovely day birding at Flamborough Head yesterday in warm sunshine. Loads of Whinchat and Wheatear straight from the Lighthouse car park.
 A little further down the path I heard a brief trilling song and then some tacking and thought Lesser Whitethroat. A showy bird came into view which in the glorious sunshine looked very brown on the mantle extending up to the nape and even onto the head in the photos. It also had brown in the ear coverts. On returning home and viewing the photos in detail one of them appears to confirm the correct wing formula for Blythi with p2 at the same level as p7 as described in Martin Garners new Challenge Series-Autumn book. I emailed Martin these pics and description and it looks like the same bird he saw today just south of the Lighthouse car park at Flamborough.  A Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (Blythi).  Also seen were Willow Warbler plus 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a female Pied Flycatcher and a pair of Redstart, a Marsh Harrier and a Goldcrest