Red-breasted Browntails

Thought I would do a Thomas Hardy and go far from the madding crowd this afternoon.  Yellow-broweds were turning up 'all ower' and having added to the year list already, I thought I would go in search of something exotic and self-found and so 'hot-footed' it to Syke'sville (Druridge Bay to Hauxley).

En route, had a Jay over the road that runs past the QEII park (but at the Linton end), and a GSW over the road from Linton near Houndalee Farm (is that not where Puff the Magic Dragon lived!).

Car parked at the south end of the North Pool at East Chev, the first bird was a Stonechat:

Onward and upward, or rather northward, and the Pool was lifting.  I could have spent ages going through the wildfowl, but ages I did not have.

Beyond the Country Park car park, every bush appeared to have a R-b B/tail (Erithacus rubecula) on it.  All very nice but not quite pulse-racing!

One Wheatear was present:

And further along, another Stonechat:

The sea was not too choppy, with flocks of Teal, Eider and Common Scoter, and with the two Red-throated Divers, a nice Black-throat.  Eureka!

The only embuggerance was the P of PTZ not working on the old scope.  The legacy of too much seawatching?  Anyway, a few blasts of the old UB40 spray and it's now a right as rain (why is rain right?).

And finally, from yesterday, to break up the monotony, a bull with massive bollocks!