It came back............

Everyone had thought it had gone.

But they were mistaken..................




The Gyrfalcon showed at Sawara today, after several days with no sightings everyone had assumed it had headed north.

Bit of a crappy day photowise. It was a mild, even warmish spring day. Skylarks were singing as were my first Siberian Stonechat of the year. Migrants were in the grass............Redpoll and Buff Bellied Pipit. The sky was blue, the sea was blue and the distant mountains were white. Not much wind. It was all set up for the Gyr to perch on the beach driftwood.

 Except it didn't........................for the 2 or so hours I was there it stayed atop the electric poles in the middle of the grassland and occasionally flew away and then returned. It was heavily backlit too, in fact I didn't get any decent shots at all. I can't complain after it was so co-operative all winter but still.....................

At Onuma I heard the first Japanese Bush Warbler of the year as well as seeing my first Moorhen of 2014 and 3 days ago in town I saw the first Swallows and House Martins. Reed Bunting. Mandarin Duck and Grey Wagtails are passing through, there are still Crossbill and Hawfinch around, flocks of Whooper Swan in the sky..................it's spring.

Here is a White Backed Woodpecker from Onuma............

Big game tonight. If Liverpool beat City I can officially start thinking about winning the title.