Invisible Singing Quail

Nice local day birding yesterday. Great to hear  singing Quail but despite wading through a field for an hour and getting very close they just moved through the undergrowth. Also seen were Little Owl, Short Eared Owl, and drumming Snipe. A tame Meadow Pipit proved to be the photographic star.

Spurn

Went hunting for Red backed Shrike today as there had been 5 reported there yesterday and Dave still needs a male. Sadly only one was found, a female but still great to see and we had excellent scope views. We also had fleeting views of a Red breasted Flycatcher but no other rarities of note

Wagtails and Plovers

Some great local birds today at the rough ground at Kingsway Business Park Rochdale. Three Yellow Wagtails, several White and Pied Wagtail and a good selection of plovers. More Little Ringed Plover than Ringed Plover. Also present were Lapwing and many Meadow Pipits, Skylark, 2 Dunlin and a Redshank.
Back at home some Lesser Redpoll are enjoying the free seed as well as a Treecreeper who I have seen several times over the last weeks feeding on the ground

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Water Pipit

A female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker gave excellent views this morning at Moore nature reserve. Me and Dave then went onto Flint for the flock of Twite that have been wintering on the marsh near Flint Castle. We got good views but they just wouldn't stop moving around so no pictures could be taken. Then onto Burton Mere reserve which was pretty quiet. The highlights were a Water Rail close to the main hide and some Avocets. We finished off at Neston sewage farm and had superb views of 2 Water pipits alongside a Meadow Pipit for comparison. A Grey Wagtail was also enjoying the insect life at the sewage farm.

Stanage Edge

Myself and Dave had a quick walk up to Stanage Edge yesterday. The weather was awful so we started the morning with a fry up at the cafe above Outside in Hathersage!. The morning's walk was rewarded with a male Ring Ouzel and several superb Ravens.