Bonus!

Travelling past Aerodrome Corner in Crammy tonight and a Tawny Owl flew from Northumberlandia over the road and into the copse.

(No so) Common Scoter

So this morning I rolls up at Wessie to see the Guvnor's car already there. It was very early for him; had he left it there the night before or had he wet the bed? A text to see if it was worth getting out the car was met with response that despite his best efforts to delicately place his size 5s in the proximity of the Flash, he had spooked two Shoveler. From now on, The Guv shall be known as Blunder Boots (BB)! So assuming the Shoveler and accompanying Teal has skipped over to Arcot, Arcot bound we then were. Arcot Lane is becoming the satellite Tip, with plenty of industrial $hite and this morning, some not so industrial too as the McDonald's refuse by the gate was aside a huge turd; at least the deliverer had wiped his/her arse on three Tesco's receipts! So eight Teal over the water and a throng of Mallard on it, and after setting the scope at the five-bar gate, this:

Later on, BB located the Shoveler at Northumberlandia (I got them too at noon) and he accidentally flushed a Redshank back at Wessie (although he blamed a dog walker). So if you fart, blame the dog; if you flush, blame its owner (sounds like one from Confucius).

Both Ends Of The Spectrum

Saw that a Black-winged Pratincole was at Hurworth Burn Reservoir near Smoggy Land this morning, and appeared to be wanting to stay. Too good to resist given the clement weather and the weekend, a journey of 45 minutes and as many miles and a throng of optic-laden Ladies and Gents watching a grassy field full of Lapwing and trying to make each one the quarry. Alas not, but after about 30 minutes or so, they lifted and the BwP was there on the edge of the weaving mass of Peewits. They split into two groups of 100 and some landed back from whence they came and the others in a cow field just to the north. And so that was it; 30 seconds of bliss but no ground shots or static views despite one or two Emperor's New Clothes-like situations where it was 'on the ground in the grass' (but could I see it, with a decent scope etc? No). And then at Arcot this afternoon, a Common Sandpiper. Take that Big Waters!!!!