randombirder

It had been a whole five weeks absence from the field, for various reasons, was just not able to head away.  This unforeseen hiatus had intensified my appetite for heading out and seeing something new. The returning black scoter to the shores of the northwest had proved reliable in recent days.  It's a long way to travel but Premier Inns are reliable, provide quality and convenience so a stop off en route was the sensible way forward. A couple of hours drive had me on the outskirts of Pontefract before a sharp getaway the following morning. On arrival, the weather was absolutely glorious, the icy roads toward Bamburgh Castle made things interesting as did the patchy dense fog for most of the journey, but thankfully, the coast was clear, the sun was out and the winds light, fully appreciating that I'd picked a good day to be here. A short walk up to the clubhouse to start the scan.  There were plenty of wildfowl on the sea, distant rafts of common scoter were going to ma...