11th August ff
August 11th: Alkborough Flats
Sheila and I drove over the Humber Bridge to Alkborough [August 11th] to try to spot a blue-winged teal. I suspect we would have failed had there been no-one there. The bird in question was fast asleep and showing no recognisable features.
Eventually it began to preen. It was a good way off and, as the hide was overflowing, we were about 30 feet further than those inside and had to scope the bird from the path. Anyway, here it is.
August 18th: North Gare Bushes, Seaton Carew
A trip up to Seaton Carew yesterday [August 17th] resulted in a difficult hunt for the correct site. When Sheila and I eventually found it [400m past the sewage works] everyone else seemed to have had the same problem. Obviously the info was inadequate and misleading. Worse still we never saw the bird although having found the little group of birders that seemed a victory in itself.
I went back early the next morning - at least I knew where to go this time and, to save my legs, the bird had moved 100m closer to the car park. On top of that it showed intermittently and rather distantly but I got a few reasonable photos and the bird remained unaware it was being watched as it pottered in the buckthorn bushes.
A fresh looking willow warbler came close to me. Let's see that bird first.
Here's the western Bonelli's warbler taken in various parts of the buckthorn scrub.
