Autumn can carry such high expectations and while Norfolk was a lovely experience, (not least of all with the memory of Moules Mariniere under a warm blue sky) it was not mind blowing.
There's something about the higher value of birds that we see when they're on our local patch. Such was the case at Bolton Fell Moss in late autumn when on a misty day some Pink-footed Geese dropped in for a while. This recently restored peat bog is often very quiet in winter as the habitat is still recovering from commercial peat extraction only a decade ago. It was quite special to see these birds there ...
Last year I was in Spain for three weeks in May and seeing Western Olivaceous Warbler there fulfilled a long-held ambition. There can be a down side to foreign trips and that comes when a really good bird turns up at home - and one did - you don't get much better than a first for the UK. The Grey-headed Lapwing in Northumberland departed as I was on the ferry back to the UK.
When one appeared in East Chevington just a short time ago this was an unbelievable chance to pull one back ...
... first from the L shaped hide it kept company with Canada Geese, Mute Swans and Wigeon ... a strange lot of incongruous pool-fellows ...
Then from the South hide it performed some short vertical flights / jumps much to the delight of the gathered throng ... and to me !
... interestingly, the only other Grey-headed Lapwing that I've seen was also an out of range bird, in Mongolia ...
Back on the closer to home patch the Rockcliffe Marsh floodbank which is part of the new coastal path gave good views of some distant Barnacle Geese and an accompanying Red-breasted Goose ... an elusive individual and a good one to catch up with ...
... Carr Beds was disappointingly quiet ... so on to the Solway ... the light was failing and I resolved to make the Caravan Park layby at Port Carlisle my last stop ... checking through the first birds, a group of Teal revealed an excitingly unexpected Green-winged Teal ...
... first it was head on to show just two thin white bars and then viewed from a little to the west it looked better ...
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