I've Got Wood!

Well, you can only look at so many waves, and wish for a Pom Skua for so long, so this afternoon I took a punt and travelled south to Hartlepool Headland to see the Woodchat Shrike.

Bizarre really, it's not much further than a trip to Alnwick but the tunnel/river subconsciously make it a more significant journey.

Plain sailing really, 40 miles door-to-door, and my first non-Northumberland 'twitch' was a success, with a dozen or so local birders lined up on a pavement looking over a fence across a bowling green at some bushes on t'other side.  It was a little bit surreal, but su-fecking-perb as a tick was added to my Life Locally Informative Species Tally (apparently the word 'List' is taboo).  And good to meet Derek C and Andrew - Do you never stay in - Kinghorn too.

And, as I hear you shout, dear reader,'Show me the record shot!', voila (watch out Sometimes!!):

And as a bonus, in the playground to the rear of the pavilion, a Snow Bunting (naturally, there were no kids in the area, as a man with a camera in a children's place is asking for trouble!).