When you're lost, get an Atlas!

Not a very nice day and when I got to Flamborough Head and parked above the gorse field by the lighthouse at 7.30am it was cold and windy. The ring ouzel I had come to see didn't seem to mind. I couldn't change any of the linnets into whitethroats or whinchats and the air felt damp. Suddenly the pager came alive with instructions to go directly to South Landing at Flamborough to see the possible atlas flycatcher which was, as the old cliche [can't do accents on the blog it seems] goes, 'showing well.'

I was soon there. Only a handful of birders present at that time but more drifted in like loafing old crows - plus a number of smart guys who clearly wanted a quick look before going to work. The bird did show well but at a distance that challenged my 400mm lens even with the 1.4 extender. Oh for a 600mm lens [with extender!]

This is the best I could do for an atlas flycatcher - I posted one photo on Bird Guides but in the notes I appended I referred to it via a typo as an alas flycatcher!! It will be if it disappears before those coming from afar get the chance...Atlas Flycatcher?? Then the rain came. The weather was back to normal. So unpleasant did it soon become I considered going home. Tophill Low came to mind. I figured that inland might be better. It was - no rain and less wind but still cold. Hundreds of swifts plus swallows, sand martins and a lot of house martins too. Barry texted swifts at Millthorpe School, York. I hope they stay. I went into the wood hoping for some new warblers. Blackcaps and chiffchaffs everywhere but no whitethroats.

Pied Flycatcher

Reed warbler heard at North Marsh hide but not seen. A pair of little ringed plovers were at the Borrow Pits. I didn't take the camera on my walk but a patch of cowslips caught my eye and I snapped them with my iphone.

Then I headed home. Dentist at 3.15pm!

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