one more sleep till vanlife

 at some point tomorrow morning we are setting off to the south coast via stratford on avon then stonehenge for a overnight stay, hopefully the weather will be better than years rainy stay fingers crossed!

then somewhere else not decided but heading to brighton on the tuesday then into kent 

hoping for some good birding food and laughs 

the route 

weekend 20-21 august

 swillingtons first spotted crake for 27 years was found yesterday...........so of i went..got there for just after 7 boom there it is showing well out in the open on cattlegate pond, a bit too distant for my camera but still a spotted crake 

also juv gargeny and greenshank 

also a nice juv water rail 

from cattlegate pond a walk round the main lake held a few common terns but little else 

over the causeway then up between the ings and reedbeds an adult hobby gave a fantastic 5 minutes display over the ings 

a distant great egret on the eastern reedbed was welcome 2 swifts went se and a sparrowhawk over the hillside  a great few hours of birding 

so off to selby for brunch at the parents house 

blacktoft next 

just as i came off the motorway  i got news that the pectoral sandpiper was back and within 30 minutes again good but distant views 

pectoral sandpiper

spent an hour in marshland hide 

6 spotted redshanks

20 ruff

12 dunlin

28 black tailed godwits

17 snipe 

37 redshank

7 avocets

1 yellow wagtail 

1 bearded tit 

saw my second juv gargeney of the day from townend hide 

back down the m62 got beer from morrisons  and headed to colettes were we chilled out with drinks curry kebabs a daft dog and a fire and set out planning our trip to sussex 

sunday 

a very humid night so by 7 we were at st aidens!

very hot in the sunshine but the autumn nip has started 

very similar to yesterday but the light was better so the spotted crake was stunning in the scope also wood sandpiper 

wold farm campsite

 arrived yesterday midday our 3rd time here very chilled out and friendly place with its own footpath to the cliff tops perfect 

so at 1230 i set off for the red tailed shrike or shreak as colette called it but hey ho 

arriving in the field it was hot, everyone was leaving bad sign had it gone? no just flown down thwe hedge so a quick walk and scanned the otherside and yep a shrike sat high up the hedge but too distant in the heat haze 

so off back round 

i found it sat in the hedge but for 30 minutes obscuerd by branches then it perched 

got lucky 

great bird 

so off to bempton the heat was getting unbearable but a nice breeze off the sea