Two days in August

Sunday 23rd August: a seawatch at Flamborough was very quiet - I think the good stuff went through before I arrived. But there's time yet this autumn... I drove round to Thornwick pool. Black-tailed skimmer on the mud bank by the hide.

Black-tailed Skimmer A couple of common sandpipers dropped in.

Common Sandpiper

Two knot were fairly settled and eventually came close.

Knot Knot Knot Knot Knot Knot

Attempts to find the elusive night heron at Swillington ended in failure - the second effort failed by one minute! A common hawker...

Common Hawker ...and a common darter were consolation prizes.

Common Darter

Jobs in the garden on the 24th August meant I didn't get away till after noon. I decided to dash to Conder Green, south of Lancaster and try for the lesser yellowlegs. A favourite bird since, when just starting birding, I saw one at Thornham, Norfolk. My wife and I were puzzled why cars suddenly came tearing down the harbour track every couple of minutes to see this bird. We knew nothing then of pagers!

Here's the very long-legged Mr. Yellowlegs!

Lesser Yellowlegs

I joined a small group of birders and this was my initial view [left-hand bird]. I drove round to the north side of the location where the light was worse but you could get much closer to the bird. 

Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Final shot shows the yellowlegs with two ruff - really emphasises the length of those legs - almost stilt-like!