Loads of Linnets

Yesterday saw Mike and myself drive to Cresswell for a look around and some photo's. Not much at Lynemouth Flash, a few Redshank dotted around, loads of Jackdaws and a couple of Shelduck, hardly surprising with the decreasing water level.
The first carpark at Cresswell was a bit more interesting despite the mist over the sea Mike was off doing his 'faffing about' with his camera while my eyes were glued to the binoculars. Plenty of Gulls flying by and a Cormorant but with loads of people down on the rocks I gave up and headed to towards the hedgerow and got my

first tick of the day. I consulted my bird book while trying to grab Mikes attention by waveing my arms around and realised I was looking at a beautiful male Linnet. We managed to get a decent shot and then the female turned up and I was delighted whe she hung around for a photo. We stopped a for a while just to watch and realised there was loads of them dotting in and out of the hedge, obviously a good nesting spot and the bird song was a delight.

We headed off towards the ponds and saw 2 lovely Swallows perched on the telephone wire along the road, really nice but the camera was in the boot, we also spotted a few Lapwing and and a Pied Wagtail which was nice.

There was some very experienced birders at Cresswell Pond hide who had some cracking equipment and were able to spot some Wheatear in a distant field, I could see the filed but that was all, never mind I did see some Shelduck, Tufted Ducks, Cormorants, Redshank, Lapwing, Mute Swans and a male and female Pheasant . There was apparently some Garganey Ducks on the far bank but I didn't see them. On the way back to the car I spotted what loked like a sparrow on the bush but on closer inspection and again a quick consult with my book I realised it was a Reed Bunting, another tick and very exciting. We headed back home for some lunch after a really interesting day, I had expected to see more seabirds or ducks, instead I managed to get 2 quite different birds equally nice and a first so all in all a cracking morning.