7th May. Below Par May

Some might think that following the Arctic Skua I've spent the last ten days sulking. No quite the opposite. In fact I bounced straight back up and found 3 Brent Geese sleeping on the causeway the following morning. Okay so they're not in the same league as an inland skua, but they're still scarce in these parts.  Other movement on the 27th included a Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, 17 Dunlin, Turnstone and a couple of tundrae Ringed Plovers.

After a rather dull weekend the Monday morning showed promise with another flock of 10 islandica Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank and finding that yet again I was pointlessly carrying the DSLR around with no memory card in it. Another arrival of Wheatears was evident with at least 18 and a cracking male Whinchat (a worthy candidate for best looking British bird).




Steve rang me mid-morning to grip me off with a Great Grey Shrike, fortunately not on Orgreave but at nearby Blue Mans Bower. I managed to get over in the early evening, where, true to current form I managed to take some awful photos in the failing light.

Tuesday was even better, again with an easterly wind and overcast conditions. Still good numbers of Wheatears with at least 22 present. A low flying Hobby came past at head height, a most welcome SF year tick my first since 2010!  An adult Little Gull followed shortly spending thirty minutes or so feeding 'marsh tern' like occasionally coming close enough for the pathetic photographer.



A possible Atlas Flycatcher at Flamborough Head the previous afternoon had been relocated to South Landing. I couldn't get too excited about it, but seeing as I had the offer of a lift I couldn't really turn it down.  It certainly looked an interesting bird, with it's velvety black upperparts, massive white wing patch and a white forehead spot like a miners helmet. I can't add anything to the debate, because I'd be making it up or quoting stuff from books or plagiarising articles by well respected ornithologists - but that doesn't seem to be stopping most of the contributors to the various internet threads on this bird!  What's ever so exciting about this bird is that for the first time ever we could be adding a new species to the British List based solely on it's DNA. Birding for the 21st Century indeed.

Soon to be on every birders Christmas list

Up to now May is proving truly dull and I'm not expecting anything of note at least until this coming Thursday.
Ta ra.