Collared by the tin church!

I headed north up the A1, hoping to get to Low Newton-by-the Sea before the mega collared flycatcher departed or was predated by the vicar's cat. You see, the info said the bird was on a gorse bank by the tin church. I knew I was in the right place when I saw the line of cars as I approached the shore. A chap greeted me with: 'Hi, you've come over from Lancashire, that's right isn't it?' I corrected him, saying I was from York. 'Greater Yellowlegs, we met there. Always remember a face!' he replied. He pointed out the bird as it flitted from the gorse out into the field, often landing briefly on the ground.

Collared Flycatcher It perched up in the hawthorns when chased off by an angry robin. Apparently pied flycatcher group birds are related to thrushes so perhaps the robin saw the collared flycatcher as a territorial threat.

The robin in question was quite interested in the long line of birders too!

Robin I looked around. What's all this about a tin church, I wondered. After a while someone spoke behind me and I turned round. I realised I had been so absorbed by the bird in front of me I hadn't noticed the tin church behind me!

Tin Church; Low Newton-by-the-Sea Here are a few more images of this super bird.

Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher A yellowhammer hopped about in front of us.

Yellowhammer

Moving on, a great white egret was reported at Hauxley NR - not that far away. Stupidly I had good views of the bird walking in a bay on the main lake from the first hide but took no photos as I realised I would be much nearer from the next hide. By the time I got there the bird had flown off. Eventually it was relocated well out of range hiding in longer undergrowth. Here is the ultimate cuckoo-type photo of a great white egret! Honest! [Just right of centre by the fence]

Great White Egret!!

On the walk back I remembered to photograph some cowslips I had spotted earlier. They were really difficult to get to and I had to scramble up a bank and point the camera through the scrub but you will see why I wanted to photograph them....some of them had orange flowers!

Orange Cowslips