A Sprite in the Can...

Over the last week, there was quite an arrival of migrants on the coast locally.

I took Wednesday off, last week, after the main easterly storm had abated, to check locally to see what had arrived. The conditions looked good at first, but closer scrutiny of the weather maps showed a few low pressure systems on Scandinavia, blocking any mass movements.

The first bird of note on Wednesday was on our drive. There are two rowans with berries, and they had attracted a fw female Ring Ouzel, like a fly to the proverbial. It chacked and squeaked away, while feeding and was present most of the day.

Elsewhere around the patch were single Redstart and Lesser Whitethroat, and a few Wheatears.

From home I moved north to Craster where a nice Lapland Bunting flew low south overhead calling, 5 Redstarts, 2-3 Redwings and a Spotted Flycatcher kept the interest going. Two Willow Tits were my first of the year.

The rest of the week was spent at work but I had hopes of some lingering or reorientating birds at the weekend.

On Saturday, I had a walk to the pond. On the way back, a Yellow browed Warbler was calling like mad from a thick area of wet woodland. Despite searching I couldnt see hide nor hair of it.

Next morning I was back to the same spot where the frantic calling had stopped. Then I heard a light soft call once, twice then nothing.

I stood for a further half hour and my patience was rewarded with close views in the open of the Yellow brow ( the term 'striped sprite' would be a bit cliche, but true!). After the good view, it moved high into a willow but still remained on show while it fed for twenty minutes or more.

Another nice find on the doorstep. Better than twitching one on Holy Island... ;)

A supporting cast of 80 Barnacle Geese overhead, 6+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 20 Lesser Redpolls made a good patch day.