Lately

The news of a trickle of Garganeys making it into the Country made my mind up regardng my destination yesterday. It had to be Duff...and Garganey Hide! I arrived at 9 and had a stroll down the new path which gives great views of the River...

It was still misty...

I could hear the wonderful sound of Whooper Swans...but couldn't see any. As you know they feed on the Farm fields opposite and leave the Carrs in groups from Dawn. I then spotted a group through the haze...

Evocative

You also get better views of the area North of the bridge from this new path...

...and it paid off with my FOY Chiffchaff (57)...

I initially camped in the Geoff Smith Hide for an initial scan. It was a fantastic, crisp and clear sunny morning...

A pair of Mute Swans has taken up residence again on the scrape. I tried a couple of shots with "the device"...

A Heron landed on the far side some 80yds away...

Pleased with this one. A lone Redwing was a surprise and a nice bonus...

A few more groups of Whooper Swans left for the fields...

...and so down to Garganey Hide. 

I was reasonably hopeful but it didn't appear in my 3 hour vigil. Fortunately some Whooper Swans had decided to stay on the water, albeit distantly. The whiteness of the birds in the bright sunshine made getting a decent image with the phonescope difficult...but OK for a record shot...

There was plenty of activity to keep me entertained. Still good numbers of dapper Pintail present...

Also lots of Geese coming and going. Always worth checking for something scarcer...

Pink-footed Geese (58)

Three Oystercatchers (59) were new. I then picked out a Raptor distantly over the poplars...

Red Kite (60)

I watched it for around 15 minutes before it was lost to view. It was now gone Noon and I intended to leave at 1. More Garganey scanning, no luck there BUT the Red Kite had come to visit...

I was treated to a nice fly-by right in front of the hide! Superb. A Great end to the session. John Heaton entered the hide just as the Kite was leaving, which was unfortunate. Good to see again though. 

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Great start this morning when the first bird I saw walking down the lane was a non "Chiffchaffing" Chiffchaff (P.90, H.74)...

I walked the coast path from the Pills to Out Newton but I couldn't find a Wheatear or Sand Martin. There has been some disturbing erosio this Winter as a direct consequence of the new defences at With. Looking North from the path at Out Newton, Withernsea is looking more and more like a mini Flamborough Head...without the Cliffs of course...

You didn't used to be able to see the Lighthouse!

The Cliff at Old Hive looks completely different...

I'm sure the Sand Martins will sort it out though. I'm sure they've seen it all before!

I had a late stroll down the Pill Boxes hoping for a record breaking Sand Martin or Wheatear. It wasn't to be. Today's Chiffchaff was a day later than my earliest in 2020.