White Tailed Lapwing

 I visited Blacktoft Sands for the Mega wader from India White Tailed Lapwing. There was a nice selection of birds including Greenshank Green Sandpiper Spotted Redshank Spoonbill Water Rail and Bearded Tit. I went onto Spurn and saw a typical elusive Wryneck and lots of Mediterranean Gull

Wryneck and Spotted Crake

Wryneck at Loftus in Cleveland and Spotted Crake at Blacktoft Sands RSPB plus some nice Green Sandpipers. Some nice butterflies on the East coast including some stunning Painted Ladies and Speckled Wood

Night Heron

Myself and Dave Evans went down to Thornton Leicestershire for good scope views of the Night Heron. Bit too far for anything more than record shots. On way back we stopped at the Wellbeck Raptor point and saw no Honey Buzzards but several Common Buzzards and a nice group of 8 juvenile Crossbill. Our final stop was Old Moor RSPB where we had good views of several Green Sandpiper and a Kingfisher

Barred Warbler and Red necked Phalarope

Saturday 18th. August had myself and Dave off to Spurn nice and early. We stopped off on the way at Bank Island in Wheldrake where a Red necked Phalarope had been seen the previous day. No joy but a cracking spot consisting of some water and flooded fields. It was alive with Snipe and a Spotted Redshank was on view. Also several Greenshank and Green Sandpipers.
Onto Spurn we saw Reed Warbler, a cracking Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler and a lovely female Sparrowhawk. The main target though was a Barred Warbler and after a lot of waiting around we had two brief flight views of the elusive bird confirmed by a couple of expert birders including Steve Webb who is allegedly "number one" bird spotter as he proudly told one of the Spurn staff birders!!
We were about to sack the day when the bird messenger came up with a Red necked Phalarope at Frampton. So off we went. What a superb site it is too. Hundreds of Black tailed Godwits, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Ruff, Dunlin, Wood Sanpiper, Ruddy Duck and a fantastic adult Red necked Phalarope. A great day with two lifers for me and five for Dave.

Buff Breasted Sandpiper

Me and Dave went to Frodsham and eventually I picked out the Buff breasted sandpiper amongst Dunlin and Black tailed Godwit. It quickly flew off though I we didnt see it again. Also present were 2 Ruddy Shelduck and a Peregrine which sent the whole flock up in a panic.
We then went onto Elton flashes where we had good views of Green sandpiper, Common sandpiper, Common tern, juvenile Garganey and finally excellent views of a Wood sandpiper.  A nice short day's birding with one lifer and some excellent year ticks.


                                                           Wood Sandpiper