St Mary's again...... First light in a graveyard is not perhaps everyone’s idea of
an idyllic morning and I was getting bitten to death by mozzies too! The
Grey-cheeked Thrush had shown the previous evening and this had to be target
for the day? As I made my way back for
breakfast, news came out it had been seen briefly – turned out to be Ian
Grant, well done!!
I decided to spend the morning on nearby Penninis. The Snow
Bunting was still blocking the track!
Hopefully the couple of Lapland Buntings would keep me
happy, once I found them?
I did and they did!
Initially feeding in the dense grass.....
Eventually on the rocks.
And then one lovely head on pose against a clean background :-)
The fun came to an abrupt end with news of the Grey-cheeked
Thrush showing – in a driveway! I didn’t get it straight away and by the time I
was marching back the Health Centre, it had relocated to the Churchyard…..
Anxious moments but 15 mins later I was there, gratefully
accepting the advice to head to the top behind the monument. Realising I
couldn’t get my camera through the gallery, I dumped it beneath a bush and
wormed my way through….. just in time – a Robin flushed it a few moments later!
Better (crippling) views were to follow though as I had it
in flight over my head and then again ever so briefly a head on encounter in a
bush less than 10m away – what a cutie!!
Even better, it was another hurdle cleared on the road to UK
400, the 350 mark (for some strange reason, I can't update this on the blog using the laptop!) reached and six lifers for the trip so far. A celebratory
pint or two tonight methinks……
