First Lifer of the Year

Out and about this week a couple of times I first went for an early morning wander around Beacon Hill.  Four pairs of Red Legged Partridge were spotted at various points, all on a road to start with yet they seem to be more nippy than their distant dozy cousins, the Pheasant, as I have yet to knowingly seen a squashed one

Lots of birds still singing, especially Chaffinches, but the Whitethroats seem to be singing but not from a visible poing.

At least 3 Spotted Flycatchers were seen all within a few hundred yards of each other.

Wednesday afternoon and I was chomping at the bit in the office to get away to see a certain little Warbler in Hartlepool when a call from the guy in the picture made me leave a bit earlier and off we went.  Was it worth it, of course it bloody was

Even if this was the closest pic I got of it, its hard aiming a camera whilst looking through a scope.

The rest of the gathered masses seemed to be as photoless as I

Lucked into a few Swallows on my travels, they are certainly a stunner of a bird to look at

Finally a trip to Shibdon yesterday produced nothing exciting but it is still worth an hour there before work as George S proved on Wednesday with his discovery of a Black Winged Stilt.  There seems to be a lot of water there at the moment so maybe its putting a few waders off.

Well, its time for bed, as I'm saving up my energy for a week off which will include building my new shed and a little birdwatching.