There's a Rolling Stones track...

...entitled: 'You can't always get what you want'. It seems appropriate.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIX0ZDqDljA [Copy this and try pasting into your browser! Ignore the advert.]

It's my all time favourite Rolling Stones track. Play it loud.

Cut to the quick, Chris!

Ok. Sunday I went up to South Shields to see a very smart drake long-tailed duck. I broke one of my key rules: never leave it till the third day. Meant to go Saturday. Should have: it had gone. Had to make do with the also-rans.

Rock pipit on the pier. Rock Pipit Rock Pipit

Sanderling huddle on the beach by the pier.

Sanderling Sanderling

Best shots were probably my best ever of purple sandpiper [looking quite purple in some shots!] on the rocks [by the pier!] Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Here are my 2 favourites.

Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper

Tree Sparrow

It's uncanny how Sheila can spot a tree sparrow in our garden with confidence when, with my eyes I need bins to make sure. She's always right. I love to have them in the garden as they come so rarely - some years not at all. But they only come when it's very cold. One has been coming most days this month so, today [16/12], I decided to see if I could get a photo.

Once I got set up in the back bedroom the tree sparrow had disappeared. I snapped a couple of house sparrows in the winter sunshine. House Sparrow

House Sparrow House Sparrow Eventually the tree sparrow appeared but was partially obscured by twigs.

Tree Sparrow

Another half hour went by and I got these shots on the feeder outside the kitchen window. All shots through double glazing.

Tree Sparrow Tree Sparrow Tree Sparrow Tree Sparrow