Cream Cracker

Cream Cracker  . . . .

Arriving in Aberdeen after a smooth overnight crossing from Lerwick we had a daunting 12 hour drive ahead of us back to Suffolk. However on news of an adult Cream-coloured Courser showing well  in Herefordshire we decided to make the drive home even longer but hopefully gain a British tick at the same time by diverting further West! The day went to plan and within 6 hours we were stood on Bradnor Hill Golf Course in gorgeous sunshine watching one of the best birds I think I've ever seen! Certainly worth the extra mileage! Surrounded by stunning Herefordshire countryside and in the warmest day for us this year, we watched as the Courser stood loud and proud on the fairway. Alert and bold upright one minute, stooped and running through bracken the next, feeding regularly and occasionally getting too close to a Meadow Pipit nest and getting bombarded from above (the Courser that is...) it showed very well for the hour or so we were there and enabled full-frame scope views throughout. There were not large numbers of birders present, maybe 50 people during our visit though I may have missed a few illusive camouflaged individuals hiding in bracken during my rough count. There were some close encounters of Tornados which powered overhead and although the Courser was not close enough for me to personally get cracking shots before we headed off back to Suffolk I was pleased with one flight shot taken shortly after we arrived onsite. After a much needed early dinner at a local pub with Martin C who we met at the bird after he had travelled down from Glasgow, we headed to Suffolk, arriving back before midnight.

Common Tern Preening - Lerwick - May 2012

A pair of Arctic Tern - Lerwick - May 2012

The best chicks to ring ever! Prehistoric looking Raven chicks at the nest - May 2012