Yellow-browed harvest!

I went up to Hartlepool on Wednesday 25th September in hope of a yellow-browed warbler. Eventually saw one at the memorial garden aka 'The Croft' along with a number of siskins and a pair of redwing in St. Hilda's churchyard. The warblers were hyperactive and impossible to photograph. The pager promised more at South Gare - so off I went. Three were isolated in a group of elder bushes which meant [eventually, again!] four for the day.

Here's one of the South Gare birds.

Yellow-browed Warbler

A couple more record shots - the bird was very low down keeping out of the stiff breeze. One photo shows an unusual view of a yellow-browed on the ground.

Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler

Saturday 28th September: Blacktoft a-bobbing!

After nearly three days of removal assistance for younger son it was a relief to get out to Blacktoft where both pectoral sandpiper and jack snipe were reported. The jack snipe was elusive but we found it in the end really close to the screen at Ousefleet. No pictures I'm afraid but here's a blast from the past! [Last year at Old Moor]

Jack Snipe

The long hedge down towards Ousefleet was alive with dragonflies: a mix of common darters and migrant hawkers. These splendid beasts were often resting in the sun, in some cases just hanging there...

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Monday 30th September - back to Hartlepool

At the putting green a juvenile redstart showed briefly but otherwise things were surprisingly quiet considering the moderate easterly that was blowing in. The seas were angry. A redshank screamed away followed by a cormorant.

Redshank

Cormorant

A few seagulls lingered inside the harbour mouth along with a guillemot that did a mysterious disappearing act when I raised my camera!

Herring Gull

I drove north to Whitburn to see a Richard's pipit [named after Monsieur Richard of Luneville, France - a naturalist] which we never found. I joined with a group of local birders but we could only find meadow pipits. Someone reported a Richard's pipit up on Whitburn golf course - so off we jolly well went. Again no sign but the walk took us to Marsden Quarry, a famous hotspot for passing migrants. All was quiet there too but from up on the cliff I filmed this short tour of the quarry: a first for me, taken with my iphone!

Marsden Quarry

So it was back south to Hartlepool where nothing had changed. The day was enhanced late afternoon by a close encounter with the juvenile redstart in the young trees in Borough Hall gardens. Here's a pretty set of pictures...

Redstart

Redstart

Full frontal: I've been spotted!

Redstart

Redstart

Redstart

Redstart

Redstart

Postscript: I got a card from someone in Wales the other day with a robin on it. The wording was in welsh: picture of a 'robin goch', meaning red robin. So does the phrase 'cock robin' refer to the male robin or is it from the older celtic goch robin? I  can't help wondering... Incidentally, as a further aside, chough are bran goesgoch.

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