Bearded Tit, or should that be Bearded Reedling?

Short video of the two Desert Wheatears

For those of you bored with Desert Wheatear images, I can only apologise at this latest post. I took a few little videos of the two birds, but for some reason couldn't load them onto here, that has now been rectified.

I promise that there will be no more, that's unless another bird turns up closer to home!

Desert Wheatear at Lowestoft, Suffolk

I arrived at Lowestoft after fighting through closed roads and roadworks to see the male Desert Wheatear being admired by a small gaggle of birders on the sea wall close to the Birds Eye factory. The bird was incredibly confiding, showing as close as 6 feet at times and seemingly nonchalant as regarding every ones presence. Locals walked along the sea wall, interested in what these binocular/camera clad people were looking at, dog walkers mooched by and the bird still continued to feed on small flies that seemed to buzz everywhere. At one point a lady let her dog get a bit too close (unwittingly, I think?) and the bird did fly some distance, but after a while continued to feed and put on a show for the assembled crowd. I took far too many photos, but it was hard not to when presented with such a poseur, but eventually had my fill and started my return journey to Peterborough after doubling my life sightings in the U.K. of this little bird in one day.

Desert Wheatears on the east coast

I am afraid that more photos of these two little birds will follow in due course, but as of yet I am putting these two untouched images from my trip to the east coast today in order to catch the lifer that was the Desert Wheatear. The top photo shows a male bird that was in Lowestoft and the bottom shows a rather wet female that was in Gorleston-on-Sea near Great Yarmouth. Two birds for the price of one!

Lesser Grey Shrike at Shingle Street, Part 2

You're looking the wrong way!

As promised, the rest of the 'better' photographs from my recent 'twitch' to Suffolk. Digital photography is a wonderful thing, enabling me to take over 500 photos and delete the vast majority of 'dross' to be left with these few slightly better than 'dross' images.

Lesser Grey Shrike at Shingle Street in Suffolk

Have spent most of the day in deepest, darkest Suffolk. Shingle Street to be exact, a small hamlet on the coast which is famous for attracting lots of migrants. This Lesser Grey Shrike was first reported yesterday and was a lifer for me, so with having some free time today I went and 'twitched' this rarity.

On arrival at the site there was disappointing news in the way of a negative report. I decided to trudge to the beach area anyway, where there were a few birders looking hopefully on the nearby bushes. On the way I met a man and a lady who had just seen it, but it had flown over the other side of the river, where they were going to next to try and track it down. I thought that I would hang around where I was in the hope that it might come my way. On scanning the distance I noticed a shrike like blob on the top of a bramble bush, immediately looking through my scope I could see that it was the bird, hurrah! I managed to get the assembled birders onto it and we all enjoyed good, but distant views.

A true 'record' shot if ever there was one!

The bird was indeed on the other side of the river and so, after enjoying the views at distance I decided to walk back to where I had come from and back up the other bank. Me and a few other birders managed to get quite close which enabled some better views and closer photos.

The bird was seen hunting on numerous occasions, catching large quantities of bumblebees as can be seen (hopefully) in the first photo and was showing exceptionally well. I have only gone through a few photos at the moment, so I may come back and bore you, dear reader, with some more after I have waded through the hundreds of images on my memory card.