Skylark and Wheatear

 

 A quick visit to Hartshead Pike this morning singing Skylark, Linnets and Wheatear

Bufflehead and Spurn

Bufflehead female (escape) at Lin Dike Fairburn Ings followed by some lovely spring migrants at Spurn

Spring Migrants

Nice couple of hours birding locally. Pair of Little Owl and Wheatear near Pots and Pans. Four Ring Ouzel, pair of Stonechat, bubbling Curlew and tumbling Lapwing in surrounding fields close to home. One Lapwing looked like it was sitting on eggs.

Spring is springing

Displaying singing Wheatear, drumming Snipe several male Ring Ouzel newly arrived including a mobile flock of 7 which just wouldnt stay put for a photo.  Local Little Owl making it sound and look like spring

Wheatear

Several Wheatear on the local hills some big and bright individuals which are probably Greenland Wheatear

Ring Ouzel and Wheatear

Fantastic evening sunshine on my local moorland watching up to 12 Ring Ouzel and dozens of Wheatear

Mountain Hare also added to the atmosphere!

Wheatear

Nice to see these guys back on territory. Breezy conditions made them flighty and I couldn't get close enough for a decent shot (excuses!)

Masked Shrike

Wow! Mega at Kilnsea today a juvenile Masked Shrike. Also seen were Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Red Breasted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Sparrowhawk, Redstart, Wheatear, Stonechat, and Barred Warbler

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