Bluetail at Durlston

Walking around Durlston with Hamish Murray on Tuesday, we were speculating idly about what the next good rarity at the site might be. Of the various possibilities discussed, a spring Red-flanked Bluetail was not among them. So when Durslton ranger Katie Black found one this morning it was a huge and pleasant surprise. Herding the family together for the afternoon out, we arrived on site at about 1400 and saw the bird at 1420. I hadn't seen it again when I left at 1545 but it was seen again just after 1700. The famous Winspit bird of 1993 appeared a few years before I started birding, so this was also a superb addition to my Dorset list.

Lakenheath at dusk

Last stop en route from Norfolk to Poole, there was just time to stop at Lakenheath RSPB for the last couple of hours of daylight. Reed Buntings were numerous around the visitor centre feeders. Cranes were apparently present but not seen by me. A few pairs each of Marsh Harrier and Egyptian Goose were around, and as the light was fading two Barn Owls came into view. This one headed off with its kill to a nest in a derelict building.

Cliff-top Buntings

An overnight stay in Cromer enabled an early morning visit to West Runton where Lapland Buntings are regular in the clifftop fields. Two birds were present in good light along with Skylarks, Linnets and a lone Ringed Plover.

Up with the Larks

Shorelark is a bird I have never managed to photograph well, so after an overnight stay at Wells I stopped at Cley to look for the birds reported the previous day before heading off to work in Cromer. After a careful approach, simply standing still in the shingle was enough to gain the confidence of four of these charming birds which were close enough for me to hear their soft contact calls.

Titchwell waders

I watched the old Parrinder Hide being bulldozed during my last visit to Titchwell RSPB in summer 2009. I returned today to find it had been replaced by a pretty major structure with sleek rooflines, swish glass windows and funky stools instead of benches. This is all part of the RSPB's response to coastal change in the area, accepting the inevitability of erosion and rising sea levels and rolling back inland to a new line of defence - a serious piece of engineering.

Human visitors have different views on this change - but this Avocet (top), photographed from the path, and Ruff (below), seen from the hide, seemed to be taking it all in their stride.

Last of the Pink-feet

This apparently injured bird was one of only two Pink-footed Geese I saw on the North Norfolk coast today. Plenty of Brents still around, and resident Greylags, but the many thousands of wintering Pink-feet and White-fronts had presumably headed off to their breeding grounds.

Garden birds. But not mine.

Steve Akers' superb display of garden birds made up for the disappointment of dipping on the Oriental Turtle Dove (see previous post). We have lived in a garden-less house for the last 2 years and our star bird was undoubtedly the Black Redstart which spent a day outside the kitchen window in our small shared courtyard just after we moved in.

Blackcap, Bullfinch (top), Brambling (middle) and Great Spotted Woodpecker pictured here were the highlights from Chipping Norton. The Brambling was one of about 6, the Bullfinch one of a pair, accompanied by large numbers of commoner garden birds.