One of those days

Occasionally when birding you get one of them perfectly calm days and see lots of great birds and hardly anybody else and Saturday was one of them.

It started early heading up to Weyborne as the spectacle of 50+ Laplands was much to tempting to miss.

I parked in the beach car park and from here the wind was still and Reed Buntings were singing.

Taking the coastal footpath to check out the sea the only bird spotted in that direction was a Rock Pipit on the shore line. Walking along the track each step seem to spook up a Skylark, with many singing and chasing other Skylarks all the way along.

Arriving at the field with the bales I scanned seeing only Skylark and a single Snow Bunting, but after 10mins the ground seemed to come alive with Lapland Buntings many much closer than I had been scanning.

This male was also in song chatting up the three females nearby.


After around an hour of watching them I managed to count 23 but could not really see all of the field and never did see the Snow Bunting again whilst I was there. The walk back was much the same as the walk there but this time seeing a pair of Stonechats on some cliff top brambles.

The next destination was just as quiet in regards to people but the birds were singing loudly. Dunnocks and Yellowhammers were instantly noticeable and a flock of ten Siskins flew over.

This Yellowhammer was very approachable and never stopped singing not even when the Sparrowhawk passed nearby.

Walking around Green Woodpeckers were laughing from all around and I was lucky enough to see this one fly up into the tree and pose for me.

Then as I walked along Woodlarks flew from the ground near to my feet one flew into the sky singing strongly. After a few minutes of watching him sing his heart out in the sky he slowly returned to the ground from where he left. I then saw another two Woodlark on the same piece of ground showing really well.

This one watch a singing Skylark in the sky.

Whilst taking in the sight of the Woodlark a pair of Stonechat started chating, then the sun started creeping through the cloud and as it came out the distinctive call of a Dartford Warbler was heard as it sat up in a nearby bush.

The walk back let me see this rather smart Kestrel, and all of these birds were kept for myself as I hadn't seen another birder.

I then went for a look on the patch, no sign of the Raven at Trimingham but I did see a Common Buzzard, Pied Wagtail and again plenty of Skylark.

I returned home to meet Adam and we went to the Poachers for a sea watch. Seeing a Gannet straight away this was the first of about 40 moving through. Also seen were two Med Gulls, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Turnstone, Red-throated Diver and Pied Wagtail. But the undoubted highlight was a pub lifer in shape of a Fulmar close inshore.

We then headed for a bit of local birding and were lucky enough to see a winter Thrush flock that held 59 Fieldfare and 25 Redwing, and whilst scanning through for that returning Dusky or Black-throated Thrush I had to settle for a flyover Red Kite.