Spring Gems

I had a trip out of county today.
Up before dawn and arrived on site at 6.00. It was still quite misty and no one was there.
As soon as I got through the gates I heard the unmistakeable sound of a nightingale.
Further into the site there was another 2 then even further was this one.
It was being coaxed to sing by a nearby female-the next couple of hours were awesome as it sang at the top of its voice and quite occasionally appeared out in the open.
One of natures true wonders.

Bempton Shore Lark

I've been hoping to get a shot of a shore lark for a few years now and never fancied a trip to the Lincs coast in winter. Today I got lucky- there was at least one reported at bempton at mid-day so I thought I would try for it tonight. I had a walk down to the cliff top and headed south then came across a path between two fields- one was completely bare having being recently tilled and the other was a mixture of stubble and weeds-it was full of birds including at least dozen wheatear, a yellow wagtail, white wagtail, skylark and linnet.

Walking further down i saw a small brown bird fly up and land in the tiled field -it was a shorelark and the first one I've sen for nearly 30 years.

It showed very well in the two fields until the light faded and the temperature dropped dramatically.

Cracking bird.

Locustella Fever

I had another day at Spurn today- I got there just after 6 this morning and it was absolutely gorgeous.

No wind glorious sunshine and the air full of birdsong.

First bird was a grasshopper warbler singing along the edge of the canal.

Then a couple of sedge warbles and a few more common migrants. I then went up to Sammy's Point but (at the time) it was quiet with less wheatears and wagtails than yesterday and again only common migrants.

Then down Spurn road for a couple of blue headed wagtails (more distant than yesterday) and it was here that news broke of the areas only second ever Savis warbler.

It was very elusive and I managed only a few shots. I hoped that it would show this evening but to no avail. Alaso managed some views of the black redstart around canal scrape. All in all a cracking day.