Kilnsea - Masked Shrike etc

I'd spent a long weekend in Scotland on plant duty noting the frenzied activity at Kilnsea with the discovery of a juv Masked Shrike! My first opportunity came on the Tuesday and with the crowds having died down, there were even parking spaces in the beach car park!

Then down to business from the viewing point.... The Masked Shrike (267) was ticked on arrival and was more or less permanently on view all day. That was the good news - the bad news was - it never came closer than approx 150m and usually more distant :-) Oh well, the main thing... 'it was there'!!!

As ever, undaunted by distance, all the converters went on to try an eke something out of the day?

 *** Desperate record shots warning ***

You can make out the orange flush beginning to develop on the right flank :-)

Plus some black on the upperwing....

Took me back to trying to get shots of the (Shropshire) Steppe Grey Shrike which was just as distant!

Was I downhearted? Absolutely not! How long before another one??

And there were some bonus year ticks two with two Jack Snipe (268) on the Canal Scrape - close but always hidden!!

Plus a Yellow-browed Warbler (269) in the churchyard which eventually produced something slightly better!

A nice end to a cracking day finished off with an awesome Haddock and chips (Newtons) in Patrington :-)

Venus Pool - Peregrine

A few things happening at Venus Pool this morning - this juvenile Peregrine steamed through flying directly over the hide giving me a split second chance.....

Plus a few waders about!

Venus Pool - Greenshank reflections

A juvenile Greenshank was briefly in front of the memorial hide

Coming ever closer....

And then given the still conditions offering lots of reflection shots.....

My favourite with the added interest of water droplets....

Eventually as close as is possible here!

Black-tailed Godwits coming up next!

Venus Pool - Little Ringed Plover

I don't know where this came from - the local LRPs didn't appear to have raised young......

Everything else has dropped in front of the hide.....Where are the two Black-tailed Godwits?

Venus Pool - Black-tailed Godwits

Here's the two Black-tailed Godwits at last! Well, as individuals - rarely close together.....

Running in......

The busily feeding up.....

There must be something nutritious in there?

The alternative angle....

Finally, posing for a reflection......

But how about a decent wader, long overdue Little Stint, Curlew Sand etc.......?

Burton Mere - Cattle Egret

Would it be third time lucky? I've gone specifically for Cattle Egret on two previous occasions, so with fingers crossed, I made the shortish drive to Burton Mere arriving 9.30ish. Not exactly under my feet, at least the Cattle Egret (266) was showing half decent on one of the islands in front of the reception hide....

The mile walk to IMF hide then beckoned (with camera this time!!) The Red-necked Phalarope plus a Pec Sand were still there!

Burton Mere - Pectoral Sandpiper

Whilst the Cattle Egret was my main aim, I wasn't going to ignore the waders on offer at IMF hide and this time the camera was going with me!.

Plus converters (these were all taken with stacked 1.4 + 2x) !! The key birds were always quite distant but here's the Pec Sand....

Waking up after a snooze!

The smart plumage and white stripes of a juvenile....

Now where's that Phalarope?

Burton Mere - Red-necked Phalarope

These aren't much better than my iphone digiscoped attempts but you have to try :-)

Hiding amongst the Teal!

But eventually out feeding in open water.

A quick preen....

And that's just about representative!

Blakeney Freshmarsh - Red-backed Shrike once more!

After a negative morning at Salthouse and Walsey Hills hoping to find something. I decided to try for the Blakeney Shrike again. I should have gone earlier as it was still showing well but never really giving itself up with prey etc....

Here's the habitat.....

And here's the Red-backed Shrike!

It wasn't always easy to lock onto!

But eventually giving decent views  from all angles....

I'd decided to end the afternoon at Cromer before driving home, some good Gulls had been showing well recently......