Hard Work

The past two days have been hard; very hard.  My early rising and driving from A to B (and often C and D too) are taking their toll.  I'm tired!

Today, as yesterday, it was 07:25 @ Snab, with a light and generally easterly wind but very little in the hour I stayed.  Half a dozen Gannet, one R-t Diver, and flocks of Wigeon, Teal and Common and Velvet Scoters, all north, were the 'highlights'.

So despite my resolve to stay put, after 60 minutes I was off the The Pools.  Along the access road, a juvenile male Sparrowhawk was nimbly and effortlessly moving north on the east side and then landed on a fencepost.  Excellent views, with camera in the boot of course, and the third bit of Magpie grief had him off north and low again.

From the Oddie (after spooking another Sprawk), many Wigeon, Teal, Little Grebe and Tufties, with the drake Scaup just outside Hide.  And what I believe was a Hare leaving the water in front of the Hide too.  I did not see it swimming nor exiting but as I glanced back, it was very wet and walking gingerly away from the water's edge.

After spooking the Sprawk yet again as I walked back, it was Cresswell, with the usual suspects on the north section, with a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper with half a dozen Dunlin.

Then to Whitley Bay Cemetery, which, excuse the black humour, was dead. 

So to a new venue, Priors Park, on the trail of the Y-b Warbler.  Afer finding a parking place, and almost by accident, I found the place, meeting Tim - Wild Up North - Sexton and Tom - My Camera And Lens Are Bigger Than Your Car's Engine - Tams and we tried to locate the tit flock, which I managed to do after 45 minutes.  Sprawk was about between the trees and a Peregrine was overhead, but the flock (G/B/C/LT and Goldcrest) was warbler-less.

And to make it worse, the Y-b Warbler at Woodhorn yesterday, whose 'tick' has put 'The Other Clown' one ahead, was reported by fellow Crameltonians Crammy Birder and SH!!  Where's the parochialism?

As if it wasn't hard enough!!!