Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll

Having met LGRE yesterday at Farmoor and having heard that the Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll was his "Bird of the Year" I thought I'd better head off to Aldeburgh today, but with a sharp overnight frost I thought it prudent to wait until it was reported as being present today. Mid Coffee & Muffin at 8:52 the confirmation came through. With Mrs L still under the weather I headed off alone just after nine for the hundred mile trip to the Suffolk coast.

Passing Stansted the fog started to lift and the remainder of the journey was in lovely clear sunshine. Good for photos hopefully. Arriving at the car park it was good to see a group of birders hanging around, hopefully the bird's hanging around too. Approaching it was noticeable how the photographers there were quite active, always a good sign that the bird's around, but this scene was quite different, maybe twenty or so birders & photographers gathered round this scraggy bush on the beach with the bird seemingly happily feeding with its audience no more than a few feet away. After I'd taken my fill of photos from various angles I took a few steps back and with the compact camera captured this strange scene of bird and audience. That was to be today's blip, but I hadn't realised the compact hadn't focussed properly, so you'll just have to make do with one of my many pictures of the gorgeous Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, a lifetime first for me and for LGRE.