Arctic Skua

Despite the dull weather on Sunday afternoon and as I spent most of Sunday at work, I still went out on to the patch to twitch Paul's male Wheatear on Ingrebourne hill #97 - you can't beat a spring male on the patch.

With Barn Owl, Green Sandpiper, Blackcap,Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and another fly over Hawfinch, the patch has sprung into action over the last couple of weeks. With my opics getting wet from the rain and no sign of getting another year tick I done something different, I went to Rainham Marshes to check the river. With good conditions I stopped off at Ferry Lane and the first bird in the bins was a cracking dark phase Arctic Skua sitting on the Thames! A good scarce bird for the London recording area.

Only on view for a few minutes before it flew east chasing the Gulls.......