Thursday 27 November 2014

Seaton Snook - Isabelline Wheatear!!!

I was north of Newcastle when news of this Isabelline Wheatear broke the previous weekend - without a cat in hells chance of getting there before dark! So, after nailing the Purple Heron, I still had another bird in my sights but with a week talk commitments, and flight to Germany for more of the same on the Friday, I didn't think I'd get the chance to go for it :-(

There was just one window of opportunity - on the Thursday and I decided to take it.....

Sooooo glad I did too! Arriving mid morning after A1 mayhem, at about 10.30 I joined the gallery of about 20 birders on the beach at Seaton Snook!

The idyllic surroundings :-)


The idyllic result - Isabelline Wheatear and bird no 299 for the year - I'll confess 'twas a heart pounding moment of relief! There wouldn't have been another chance!





The Issy was working a circuit generally along the seaweed line, catching flies with some pretty fast manouevres! Eventually coming closer as everyone behaved perfectly!






Shame about the dull conditions but you savour the moment a mega like this is perched upright less than 15m away!






I had to be well happy and the only blot on the morning was a jogger running through - flushing it into the dunes! It was eventually relocated right of the access path and another patient wait was about to start for the newcomers! I reckoned I'd done enough, the light was even more grim and I chose get back on the road to avoid the rush hour!


A weekend in Germany and talks almost every night for the first 10 days of December mean that magic next bird (and it will have to be a mega) is going to have to wait! That is if one turns up?? A nervy December coming up! My next blog post will hopefully include a very happy selfie?