It happened last week - there's always a surprise somewhere...

Wednesday: Briefly at Blacktoft!

I went to Blacktoft in the afternoon to try out the digiscoping set-up now I had got the camera settings sorted. I checked both batteries were charged and put a nice big 8GB memory card in the camera. At Blacktoft I made a maddening discovery: the camera doesn't recognise cards that big!! So no digiscoping. I had the big Canon with me [intending to take some comparison shots] so here's a redshank and, yes I'm sorry, here's the umpteenth greenshank. I do like them!! You may have noticed. Feathered photogenics.

Redshank Greenshank

Friday 21st September: Dig-ressing again at Saltholme

Went on a seawatch at Hartlepool Headland first. Saw a Sabine's gull lingering off the Headland; good number of skuas. Long-tailed skuas overhead. I couldn't see them! Bloke next to me [when someone said 'Coming in to the blue now!'] 'Which bit of bloody blue?' I felt the same! Still Sabine's was excellent tick.

Digiscoping attempt. Some satisfaction as seen below. Gadwall and little egret. Both beyond the camera's range but shots like this only worth it for a rarity my DSLR can't reach I feel. Still, progress nonetheless.

Gadwall Little Egret These photos were also taken that afternoon at Saltholme - all at Phil Stead hide - but with the DSLR.

Redshank Little Egret Something a bit different - it was quite windy.

Little Egret

Saturday 22nd at Spurn. Winds turning easterly.

Day's finds included goldcrest; red-breasted flycatcher; yellow-browed warbler; pied flycatcher; red-backed shrike; kestrel; garden warbler. The shrike wouldn't let me get near so photos are mega crops. Kestrel passed overhead while I was watching the shrike.

Red-backed Shrike Red-backed Shrike Kestrel Rusting machinery has often made me want to make something interesting. Experimental shot taken at Spurn Point.

Back at the Crown & Anchor I caught up with one of the three red-breasted flycatchers in the car park.

Red-breasted Flycatcher Red-breasted Flycatcher He liked to cock his tail up and down. Quite a little twitcher himself!!Red-breasted Flycatcher

Later, at the Warren, a pair of great spotted woodpeckers were ringed and ready for release. Here they are - iphone photo.

Great-spotted Woodpeckers

Sunday 23rd - back to Spurn again!

Much less about after a clear night. Snipe at Canal Scrape while I waited for something to turn up. An angry swan was cross with everything - another poor swan was chased from the pool. I tried to capture the mood. Note in the final picture the irate swan is in front of the swan with his wings spread making sure he can't come back.

Snipe Mute Swan Mute Swan Mute Swan I spent much of the day seawatching - saw lots of arctic skuas and bonxies, plus common scoter and other usual stuff. Somehow I missed out on Cory's shearwater both in the morning and after 4pm when I was nearly home. Still...

Someone came to the seawatching hide and anounced that a yellow-browed warbler was to be released at the Crown & Anchor in 15 minutes' time. I drove down and switched to the macro lens...............

First sight as the tiny bird came out of the ringer's bag.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler

Later I drove down to the Point to stroll around and see if I could meet up with the shrike again. It was seen but not by me. I photographed some flowers as I went.

This pretty yellow flower was everywhere in late September, colouring the dunes and the poor soils of the peninsula.

Perennial Wall-rocket diplotaxis tenuifolia Moving in close it has pretty flowers.

Perennial Wall-rocket diplotaxis tenuifolia Perennial Wall-rocket diplotaxis tenuifolia I believe it is Perennial Wall-rocket diplotaxis tenuifolia - but I may be wrong. Certainly a member of the brassicaceae.

The sea-buckthorn hippophae rhamnoides was in fruit - the fruits are said to have miraculous properties nowadays:

Sea Buckthorn: New ‘Superfruit' Helps Weight Loss And Dementia

The sea buckthorn berry – a grape-sized orange fruit grown in the Himalayas – is being touted as the latest ‘superfruit’, which aids weight loss and staves off dementia.

According to Marap UK, the supplier of organic fruits from around the world, sales of sea buckthorn have soared by 30% in the past six months after scientists discovered its powerful antioxidant value.

A study by the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and the Indian Institute of technology discovered that sea buckthorn berries contain a potent mixture of vitamin A, K, E, C, B1 and B2 vitamins. They also found high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, folic acid and flavonoids.

Experts believe its mix of fatty acids signal the body to stop storing fat, and according to leading nutritionist, Dr.Oz, the weight stays off, too.

It's also the plant those pesky caterpillars feed on. Remember the warning signs:

Poster photographed at Spurn with 400mm lens - a tribute to this lens' abilities I think.

Sea-buckthorn hippophae rhamnoides

Diplolepis rosae

The rose bedeguar gall, Robin's pincushion gall, or moss gall develops as a chemically induced distortion of an unopened leaf axillary or terminal buds, mostly on wild roses, caused by a gall wasp (Diplolepis rosae (Linnaeus, 1758)), previous synonyms are D. bedeguaris, Rhodites rosae or Cynips rosae. This one was on a plant at the point.

Rose bedeguar gall diplolepis rosae Finally my eye was drawn to a dark-headed gull on the beach. It turns out just to be a winter-plumaged herring gull - perhaps a bit more dusky headed than usual.

Herring Gull Ok. Good weekend overall. 3 ticks too. 266 UK; Yorkshire now 128.