A long tail with a black start and a curly finish!

17th March

A long-tailed tit somehow got into one of our greenhouses. My attempts to coax it out having failed I thought that maybe one look at a camera and it would scarper. It soon did - but I got these first! Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit

19th March

Plan A: Sheila and I headed for Filey but ridiculous amounts of traffic made me cut across country east of York through Haxby to pick up the A19 and head for Hartlepool Headland. Plan B: photograph a black redstart in the Memorial Garden and find the great northern diver in the harbour. Where's the blackstart hiding?

In the bushes! Black Redstart Black Redstart Here!

Black Redstart Black Redstart Lilies left tied to a bench to remember someone... A birder perhaps?

Black Redstart Black Redstart Black Redstart

Onwards along the harbour walls towards the fish dock. Eiders displaying and making eerie, moaning noises. Rather impressive.

Eider Eider Eider Eider Eider Eider

Is it love? Eider I tried a quick video with my phone but the show was over. Eiders

There were purple sandpipers roosting on the breakwater...

Purple Sandpipers ...making for a very boring photo! Oyks flew in too... Oystercatchers

A few curlews came in with the 150 or so oystercatchers. So here's the curly end!

Curlew Curlew Curlew

Keep on birding!

P.S. We saw the GN diver through the railings well inside the fish dock - so mission accomplished!