Great Snipe!

Is what the title of this blog would have said if I’d been at Spurn a couple of days later... Last week the other half and meself went off for a jolly to her homeland of North Yorkshire. Beautiful part of the world and best of all it still has plenty of these!!

Tree Sparrows. This one was at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and this next one was at the girlfriends folks place. Great to see so many as they have pretty much disappeared from Dorset and my home county of Gwent. Both counties have tiny populations just clinging on but it doesn’t look hopeful...

Also at Bempton Cliff, Gannets were still in abundance. Light wasn’t good so pics are a little gloomy I’m afraid!

Back to Spurn. We spend a lovely morning at the point where thousands of Meadow Pipit dominated the notebook. This one came to say hello briefly.

Rarities were few and far between but a Red-backed Shrike popped up though at distance so won’t bother you with a blurry picture. I was saying whilst we were in Yorkshire that I bet something good will turn up as soon as we get back to Dorset and sure enough it bloody did. Didn’t fancy the 8 hour drive back so will just appreciate the Great Snipe on the internet. After all, it’s just a fat snipe...

Will finish with a shot or two of my favourite gull. We stopped off at Hornsea Mere and on arriving I thought I’d seen a tern or something similar out on the water. Went down to the waters edge and was confronted by a mob of Little Gulls. Probably 30 in all! Stunning little critters!