Shorelark

 I decided to put  a post on the Shorelark found at Blyth harbour yesterday by Peter Fletcher these used to be annual in small numbers but this is the first one I've seen for a few years , so it was worth spending lots of time with it ,letting it settle into a routine ,it gave best views when it landed in the compound giving us the opportunity to watch it slowly feed among the very small plants. The only thing that spooked it was any noisy vehicle that past ,when it would fly sometimes onto the beach , at one point posing on a log for a couple of minutes thus allowing me to use the SX5O  as we stood behind the wall , it also sang from here a short sweet trilling sub song

 Showing the small horns

Shorelark,Avocets and Merlin 6-4-11

Wednesday the 6th I was going up to the Cresswell area anyway but the note of some Avocets around was a bonus , I was told the Shorelark was still showing at Druridge and a guy even offered me a lift despite having just come from there , so thanks for that,the bird was indeed showing well so rather than push it off I sat down and hoped it would work its way nearer, but other birders arrived and it kept its distance. Plenty of Skylarks and Meadow pipits around ,Wheatears also on the move I had 12 on the way back to Cresswell, Yellow Wagtail in the cattle field just north of the pond, 5 Pieds and 2 White Wagtails, I had seen no sign of the Avocets but there calling as they flew in allowed me to get a couple of shots they dropped on the pool but left , heading back to the village a Male Merlin shot along the dunes nice end to the day and some good birds for my Birder on the Bus list, even though I had missed two buses  back home !!!!

 While hoping for the bird to come nearer took a couple of digishots

 I have overexposed this one pity as it is not a bad shot

This was a smart bird I got a couple of others with the camera which I will use as a header

 Yellow Wagtail Cresswell

 One of  12 Wheatears along the coast from Druridge to Cresswell

Two of the Avocets I think 8 reported at one point