A first, a second and some thirds

An early start meant that I was on Holy Island by dawn. Crossing the causeway, I glimpsed an owl (probably Short-eared) but couldn't relocate and headed instead for the Pallas's. With this bird haven't gone temporarily AWOL, I set out for the main prize : Brown Shrike (only my second ever). The bird was not showing well - distant and elusive, spending much of its time feeding in the long grass, out of sight. But my persistence paid off and I eventually got some half-decent images.

I then spent the next 1 1/2 hours racing round the island trying to catch up with the supporting cast. The Dusky Warbler was straightforward enough but the high wall made viewing difficult and there were also a couple of Chiffchaffs in the same Rowan tree, which confused the issue. No chance of a photo here, sadly. Just round the corner, on the main road, another rarity popped up - Red-flanked Bluetail (which would have been the star of the show had I not already had brilliant views 2 weeks ago and if it hadn't been eclipsed by the shrike).

This was, of course, simply delaying the inevitable. The mega had I really come over for was still showing 'down south' and with the tide coming in, I was forced off the island and made my way to South Shields. The site in question wasn't as easy to find as I had hoped (not visible from the main coast road just south of the pier) and I also got lost and stuck in traffic, which didn't help. Still, once at the quarry, the bird played ball: Taiga Flycatcher! I tried to pick up on the salient ID features: the black uppertail coverts, the cold tones, the brownish cap... but in essence, it was just a very pretty little lifer that posed nicely for the camera. It was just a shame that the whole experience was spoilt by the local thug camera club that seem to be everywhere these days - with their skinheads, camo-gear and fags and no bins or ornithological interest whatsoever, as far as I could see - bolding striding forwards to the front of the queue, ignoring etiquette, talking loudly and hardly showing any interest in the bird at all. I left soon after they arrived, happy enough with my images but quite angry.

The Flycatcher was a first for me (and only a fifth for Britain!), the Shrike a second and the Red-flanked Bluetail and Dusky Warbler were thirds. (Pity I didn't have time to hunt for the Pallas's Warbler, Barred Warbler or Rosy Starling...)