Got to love a buff yank bird!

Apparently Long-tailed Tit are rarer by miles than Buff-bellied Pipit in Shetland, and as for Lesser-spotted Woodpecker: an absolute mega. We can come to terms. We can supply LTTs by the bucket if Brydon can ship a few of the tasty birds that are seemingly common place on the islands, we may even throw in a Lesser spot or two.

Two weeks on and I am still approaching clumps of weeds on the flats and "swishing" hopefully in their direction, blind to the fact that we have acres of vegetated habitat were skulky birds can hide indefinitely.

My regard for pipits has gone up a notch or too as well. I look at our mipits and smile, though they are not quite as "buff" as the one found by Mr Riddington for us to chase after. The Pechora, an excellent bird I have no doubt, didn't afford such great views that I could really appreciate, but the Olive-backed was a little gem. Hopefully I can steal one of Mr Garner's pics to share.

Meanwhile here's buffy.

It was something approaching sadness we paid our last visit to the sheep-sized redpoll at Norwick.  It was very obliging again, I could and should have reached out and pocketed the fluff ball and taken back to Wanstead with me.

Mr Garner showing incredible field craft.

If only all birds were so obliging, well perhaps not.  The dog's would eat them on the flats!