Sunday 25 September 2011

Two more yanks . . .

Sandhill Crane

. . . but please no more for a little while, it's too much! I've got things to be getting on with so won't write a lot. I got the train to Sheffield on Friday night, from which the journey continued with Oliver Metcalf. As we were approaching the site news came through that the bird had just been relocated (having gone A.W.O.L. for an hour or so), we couldn't get there quick enough. It apparently gone behind a hay bale but, a couple of minutes later, Britain's third SANDHILL CRANE launched itself into the air and flew low past us, calling. Utterly brilliant!

Black Scoter (left) with Common Scoter

After a light lunch we got further views of the bird, this time on the deck, and then made our way back, calling in at the scoter flock a few miles down the coast en route. The presence of the Sandhill Crane nearby meant this was a perfect time to look for our quarry because of the increased number of people looking. It wasn't long before the adult drake BLACK SCOTER was picked up and showed in good light relatively close in.

Britain Life List: 319