No Megas Here....

 Do you ever feel things are just passing you by? As if you are an observer looking in through a window rather than being involved. That's what this spring has seemed like to me. On the socials I am seeing posts and images of some amazing birds, not too far away from here, but they may as well be on the moon. They're like a work of fiction.

Things such as flocks of Red backed Shrikes to eye watering American Buntings and even a potential full first for the world! Well that is exaggerating, a first for the Western Palearctic ( if its not just natural variation on a more local European species ). I'm even missing things on my doorstep at places I visit on a regular basis, with Osprey along our coast path yesterday and an Icterine Warbler just along the road last night.

What can I do about it? Bugger all I suppose. Keep away from Social Media might help. Bury my head in the sand? Maybe things will improve this weekend, we'll see.

That's a disappointing look on what I've not seen, now its time for an equally disappointing look at what I have.

A trip up to Holy Island last Wednesday on an impromptu day off was a case of 'look what you could have won', with 1 Spotted Flycatcher and, oh no, that's it. One Spotty Fly. To keep the chin up, Purple Milk Vetch and a nearby Mother Shipton moth were nice re-aquaintances, but Shrikes they are not.

On the way up, in a lovely sunny day, we stopped at Low Newton to see Gary's two Temmincks Stints on the scrapes. Both showed well, being as close as its possible to get on this wetland as they shuffled around the grassy edge with a few Dunlin and Ringed Plover while several Avocets towered over them.

One of the Temminck's Twins.

Purple Milk Vetch

On the way back home I glanced a local flash that has occurred in a field near us over the winter and was pleased to find a pair of Avocets that seemed to be nesting. Its quite an exposed spot but with the support of half a dozen Lapwing pairs breeding too they might keep crows at bay.

Avocet pair with Lapwing chick, centre.

On Saturday, the deluge of Red backed Shrikes arrived seemingly everywhere, so we could have raced up to Holy Island on Sunday for seconds or comb Boulmer for our own.

That's exactly what we did. Foxton Golf Course to Boulmer Village via Seaton Point and back was as profitable as Holy lsand had been last Wednesday. Except without the Spotted Flycatcher.

We had 2 Little and 8 Sandwich Terns fishing the haven plus one each singing Grasshopper Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat.

A stop at the Aln Estuary area had another 2 Little Terns, the local Ruddy Shelduck again, 2 White Wagtails, 2 Goosander and a male Marsh Harrier. There were no migrant waders at all, which is unusual as 3 miles along the road at the Coquet Estuary they reported bigger than usual numbers of Dunlin, Ringed Plovers etc.

And that's about it really...Apology for not searing your eyes with Indigo Bunting or Indian Golden Oriole shots. You probably didn't expect it, did you...