Here's the slide (remember those!) of the demon dog thing from Minsmere I was talking about the other week, weird eh.  I should maybe read up on the t'internet about devil worship and see if that really is what was going on.

You'll remember last year a load of us went to Scarborough for Pilsworths stag do, we had such a good time we decided to do it again, well not exactly nobody was getting married but we fancied another piss up among the bright lights.  A good day night was had by all with plenty of all consumed and a few snedge balls thrown as we were out in the middle of a deluge of the white stuff.  The night culminated in Speighty busting jacks nose with some enthusiastic dancing.

I got up there early and did a bit of birding in the general area with Jack and Tim.  Here's the results

 Hoody on Seamer tip, probably the longest staying Hoody in Yorks for years.

A couple of Med Gulls at Holbeck.  Taken with the S95 on 3.8x zoom.

  A few more of the Dessy Wheatear which after becoming the longest staying in Britain ever romptly fucked off, or keeled over in the freezing weather.

Can you see the bird?

That any easier?  Mad Bittern sat in full view in a Hawthorn clump miles from any fresh water!

Devil worship!

In what seems so long ago it might as well have been a previous lifetime I worked at Minsmere for a about a year from Oct 87 'til Sept 88.  During that time there were some funny goings on on the reserve. We found structures made out of cut saplings, cubes and pyramid type things.  They were usually in the wood but a couple of times they were found in the middle of the reserve entrance road, put there in the night by person or persons unknown, the warden was convinced it was some kind of evil worship going on.  One day as we were going along the road we found a 'thing' in the wood just a few yards from the road, this thing was in the form of a four legged animal like a dog and had a winged creature of some kind coming out of it's back.  It was made from wire coated in resin and then covered in rough brown felt, it looked quite realistic.  The warden (who was a Jehova's Witness, and no doubt absolutely shitting it) sent a couple of us down to remove it and destroy it.  We were never really sure what was going on to be honest, but we put the wind up each other when cycling to the pub, we seemed far less bothered about it all on the way home tho!  Anyway what's the point to all of this you ask, well a couple of weeks ago I saw this very same creature again, but in the flesh this time.  OK so they were minus the fuckin demon coming out of it's back but I tell you they look the same.

Here's one of the evil looking bastards

Somewhere probably back at my parents house I'll have a pic of the thing from Minsmere, I'll try to find it next time I'm over in Wakefield and put it up on here.

Anyway those of you who have been for the crippling northern Long tailed Tits nr Halifax have probably seen the same thing.  Did you see the Tit?  If you haven't been for these you have to, they are amazing stunning little things.  I saw the ones at Spurn/Easington many times but couldn't resist going to see another.  I didn't manage any pics so here's a few of the birds in Easington.

 

Considering these birds were around all winter and these were the best pics I could manage I have to say I think they are probably the hardest birds I've ever tried to photograph.  OK so Swifts or Hirundines are impossible but you know you'll struggle with those.  These are nice cuddly little Tits that just hang about round nut feeders giving pornstar views, did they bollocks, they never sat still and you couldn't get anywhere near them!