A Quality Bird and then Grim at Grimsby, Failure at Flamborough

I was spending Thursday at home when Saltholme announced via my pager that a long-billed dowitcher was present visible from the bus stop on the A178. I decided to go for it as a quality year tick. I had seen a pair several times in Cheshire on different reserves [same pair? I don't know] and I had seen an individual at close quarters at Freiston Shore RSPB in October 2011. The bird at Saltholme had moved by the time I arrived and to see it I had to walk down to Saltholme Pools hide where I had good views [with a bit of heat haze 'wobble'] through the scope. Too far however for a photograph. You may wonder why I don't digiscope. I have tried to but I couldn't achieve the image quality I wanted and am happy where I am now with my Canon big lens. Could always fancy a bigger lens but it might end up too heavy for me over some of the distances I currently carry the 400mm.

Anyway, the l-bd was a nice bird and here's a photo just to remind us all of the Freiston Shore bird.

Long-billed Dowitcher Some time remained that afternoon so I decided to try Dorman's Pool area for warblers. The walk along the railway line from the lower car park can be quite productive. There were no whinchats [my secret hope] nor real specialities. Sedge warblers posed along with whitethroats. A little grebe was seen from the main road near the bus stop.

Sedge Warbler For some reason there's always a twig just where you don't want it!!

Sedge Warbler Little Grebe 225 UK; 103 Yorkshire

Friday May 25th

On the Thursday evening a bee-eater was reported at Scartho near Grimsby. This is the one bird I should most like to see. So I set off early. The location was a residential street with an alleyway through to a pleasant park with some fine trees. But, no sign of any bee-eaters.  A greenish warbler was then reported at the bottom of Old Fall steps [the triple height style I fell down a couple of years ago!]. So I drove there, back over the now cheap Humber Bridge to Flamborough. A few birders were present but no sign of the bird. After an hour [only bird seen was a sedge warbler] I gave up. The bird was reported asgain after 3pm. I had long gone. I decided to improve the  day - I don't believe in bad days - and go to Bempton again.

Bempton was busy. I took a picture of the people colony nesting noisily on the cliff top at Grandstand.

People Colony I also took a long-distance shot of the gannets on Staple Newk. It's a view I haven't seen before.

Staple Newk Gulls were following a fishing boat in the sunshine. Feral pigeons were flying about along with the fulmars. A nice bif of a guillemot to reward me for all the deleted blurred images I have consigned to the rubbish bin!

Fishing boat Feral Pigeon

Fulmar Guillemot A skylark was singing overhead.

Skylark

I shall end this post with a gallery of images of the gannets, a rock dove that seems to have all the features a real rock dove should show and some auks. I especially like the cheeky razorbill peering at me over the tufts of grass. Let's not forget the striking pose of the kittiwake who wasn't angry, he just heard some other kittiwakes making a racket so decided to join in!!

A great day - and no ticks. It doesn't matter in the slightest!!

Gannets Gannet Rock Dove Razorbill Guillemot Kittiwake Razorbill