Double the pleasure!

Another wander down the Trow area this late morning produced a unforgetable experience. Whilst the main quarry area was pretty much as dead as a Dodo a treat was in store for me and Jan a little further south.
Nowt much in the bay areas on this visit except for a single Wheatear and a couple of Rock pipits. A Red throated diver off here with increasing numbers of Shags present.
We also met another welcomed visitor here today - Mr JG who informed us someone had seen "the" Lapland bunting thats been here the last couple of days this morning.
So we headed towards the area where Ian Mc. had first picked the bird up in and was present there yesterday. Unforgently it takes Jan a great effort these days to manage such a walk especially in windy conditions but she managed it and a Snipe was encounted coming in off the sea along the way.
When we all reached the area Jan parked here arse with Max and me and Jimmy went in search of the bunting. Jimmy picked up not one but two together! just a bit further south from yesterdays views. They flew off towards Jan and I could see she had picked them up in flight whilst sat here....


What followed was fantasic! the two birds settled to feed just below the main cliff line on rocks and grassed areas here. We all sat down on the small overhang here and watched them feeding (including Max who watched with interest). Well they just went about thier daily business and approached closer and closer! until they where only about just over 10 feet away.( my lens will not still focus below this..thats how I know;-) )

One of the birds appears to be a shade lighter than the other, if I had to pick which one if either was here yesterday I would say the darker coloured one. But the Leas is a vast expanse of grassland and a regular spot to see these buntings over the years, so who knows how many other Lapland buntings are around here at the moment?

This weekends encounter with Linnets here has been limited to say the least, only one small-ish flock of 30 or so yesterday, Skylarks and a few med.pips. passing thro- yesterday not so many today. Its a few years since we witnessed flocks of Goldfinch and Linnets up to 300 strong here late summer.

Very enjoyable 30 minutes or so watching these two birds at close quarters.