Hesketh Outer Marsh, Lancs - 26th Sept 2005.

The long trudge out to this stretch of the south Ribble produced this leucistic Golden Plover amongst c500 Goldies in the area. Also, 1juv Ruff, 1 juv Spotted Redshank, 2 Turnstone, 70 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Knot, 500+ Teal, 100 Wigeon, 4 Pintail, 1juv Marsh Harrier and 1 Wheatear.

R.N. Phalarope, SW Cumbria - 25th Sept 2005.

This Merlin was hunting the Starling flock below.

The opportunity to photograph a Red-necked Phalarope was too tempting to resist. This little gem of a bird frequented Leece Pond on the outskirts of Barrow-in Furness, Cumbria, and treated us to a fantastic display of 'spinning' as it constantly fed on surface insects. Afterwards, a walk around Walney Bird Observatory produced 2 drake Scaup, 15+ Greenshank, 2 Wheatear, 1 Merlin and a superb Barn Owl hunting at 18.00hrs.

Spurn - 11th Sept 2005.

This fine Roe Deer was nr the coastguard tower at the point.

Wryneck in the triangle, viewed from Canal Zone.

Wryneck by Post 68, Wire Dump.

Pied Flycatcher and male Common Redstart in the Privets by the Coastgauard Tower at the Point.

Pied Flycatcher at the Warren.

Spotted Flycatcher at the Warren.

A good days birding at Spurn. Highlights were a Greenish Warbler at the Warren and a few Wrynecks. The rest of the team i travelled with saw 6 Wryneck and 2 Greenish. Whinchat was perhaps the most obvious of the common migrants, but Common Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers could be found with regularity + smaller numbers of Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. 3 Tree Pipit went south as did a few Flava Wagtails. A juv Merlin briefly by Kinsea church was followed shortly by a Turtle Dove perched on wires between the Church / Bluebell. Hailing from East Lancashire, this was my first of this species anywhere for several years! Scans offshore revealed flocks of Duck on the move, the majority south, consisting mainly of Common Scoter & Teal, with smaller numbers of Wigeon, a Pintail and a drake Shoveler. 2 Arctic Skuas and a few Red-throated Divers were also noted. 4 skeins of freshly arrived Pink-footed Geese flew South early afternoon.

The low point of the day was missing on the chance to see a Hawfinch in the hand shortly after we had left the area.

Greenish Warbler - 'Bomb hole', South Gare, Cleveland - 10th Sept 2005.

This Greenish Warbler was one of two seen today, the other being at the end of the Zinc Rd, North Gare, though the latter gave unsatisfactory views mid-evening. Other passerine highlights today included an Icterine Warbler on 'long-lane', Filey NCCP and the Booted Warbler at Scarborough Castle. This latter bird was a classic example of a newly arrived migrant, as it fed in grass on the seaward side at the base of the castle cliff, also making its way halfway up the bare rock face. Persistant heavy drizzle thwarted attempts to photograph the Booted. 2 Redstart, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and a c15 Willow Warbler were the sum total of common migrants at the combined sites, though it was obvious that more migrants were making landfall along the Yorkshire coast as the day progressed. An hours seawatch off Filey Brigg early morning produced 20+ Bonxie, 10+ Arctic Skua, with mixed Duck flocks on the move including Common Scoter, Tufted Duck, Teal, Wigeon and Pintail. Several Purple Sandpiper roosted on the Brigg.

Wryneck, Middlebrook, Horwich, Gtr. Man - 9th Sept 2005.

Always a great inland find, this stonking bird showed brilliantly as it probed for Ants along the edge of a path only a short distance from the Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers FC.

Spurn - 4th Sept 2005.

The first two photos below are of the same juv Red-Backed Shrike, present in the area of the point heligoland trap.












This juvenile Red Backed Shrike was present just north of the caravan site and was reportedly hunting Sparrows in the area.










Wryneck by Post 63.

These 2 Shrikes and the Wryneck were the best migrants of the day. The latter was a mobile individual only allowing a distant poor record shot in heathaze to be obtained. There were enough migrants around to keep the interest going, including: c25 Whinchat, several Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler (triangle), 1 Merlin, several Pied Flycatcher, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Common Redstart, Blackcaps, Common Whitethroats & 5 Garden Warbler, 3 Whimbrel.