Well, as I always say, that's birding!

Given the forecast which suggested Wednesday might well be the best day of the week, I decided the night before to head for Spurn. However I was aware that a pallid harrier had been reported near Patrington at what I normally call Patrington Haven realignment but was referred to now as Outstray Wetlands. Anyway I went there first, saw a merlin straightaway, and waited a long, long, long, long time. Until with my sore throat I needed to go back to Tiggy for a drink.

Guess what happened? The harrier made its only, rather distant appearance that day whilst I wasn't there. I waited a while after my return and decided to give up. I never saw the bird although we did see good numbers of marsh harriers. I had seen a pallid harrier at Dorman's Pool, Cleveland in October 2011 so it wasn't the end of the world. My photo is a bit distant but here's a reminder of my cinnamon bird:

Pallid Harrier Dorman's Pool 21.10.2011 Record shot!

I had noticed that reed warblers were very easy to spot busily chasing in the very narrow strips of reedbed at the side of the Winestead Drain. They were so easy to see. So making the best of it and with reasonable light - although the sunshine was obscured at times by large white clouds - I set out to photograph reed warblers for the very first time. A selection of the ones I like follows.

Reed Warbler Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler Reed Warbler Reed Warbler After a couple of hours I set off for Kilnsea. In the car park I met two chaps who had been at the pallid harrier untwitch. We had all overheard a Spurn man say there was 'nothing at all at Spurn.'  'Something might turn up,' I said. They agreed. So we set off on our walk to Beacon Ponds. Changes are afoot here with various signs of new earthworks and new fences but I reached the hide and found it - to my surprise - full! Usually there's no-one there! And there were nice things to see. Lots of little terns, some on the ground in front of the hide. Summer plumaged grey plover and dunlin. Ringed plovers. I walked back alone but met the two chaps from earlier again. One had just had a message from a mate saying there was a golden oriole at Sammy's Point!

I set Tiggy into scamper mode and set off. The other two came along later after visiting the small brick building in the car park. They had told me the bird was at post 45 which worried me considerably as post numbers are more associated with Spurn Point but I walked on. No sign of life ahead. Eventually I saw the two chaps who hurried along. 'Sorry,' one said 'but I misheard the voicemail, he said posted at 14.45 Sammy's Point.' So we were in the right place. Whereupon a turtle dove quite simply appeared from one of the hawthorn bushes to our right. Great. Think of the diesel that has saved!!!

The men went over the stile into the bush field. I stayed on the path to watch for any disturbance. As I walked along I saw another man signal to me to work round to him. He had the bird in view. Eventually I had cracking views of the bird. The day wasn't just looking up it had reached for the skies!! Something had turned up.

2 ticks, nice pics and a nice contented drive home. 223. Yorkshire 102.

Postscript

Over the last week we have had some four-legged visitors The roe deer were in the potato field across form our house for two days. The hedgehog [there are two of them] call nightly to feed on some of the dropped birdseed at our feeders near the house. A few pictures tell just how close the deer came - taken with a 100-200 zoom.

Roe Deer Roe Deer

Roe Deer Roe Deer Hedgehog