A Firecrest.

Although it hadn't been seen the day before I thought I'd press my luck and drive over to Hams Hall on Wednesday morning and try to see the Firecrest that's been there for a few days now.

Parked up by the bridge at 10.00 AM and walked down to the sewage outfall stream bridge where I met an old friend Alan.He'd been there a while and had no luck so when he left I thought I'd try my luck along the path that goes under the road bridge and along the river.

Just as I began to walk under the road bridge I had some luck when I met up with Bob Duckhouse who showed me where he had seen it a few days earlier.Quite soon we met up with another birder who put us onto the Firecrest approx. 70 m along the path in the hedgerow/trees on the left.

I then had an hour battling to get a shot of our little friend who was pinging around as they do mainly in the gloom of the hedgerow.My god it was difficult to get onto it and I now have a vast collection of out of focus twig shots.When I did managed to get onto it this happened.

Here are my best shots which although nothing to write home about I was chuffed to bits to get them of a cracking looking bird.

On the way home I had a quick look at Shustoke reservoir to check on the Great Northern Divers but as usual for me they were way out in the middle.They did show great interest in one of the buoys.