Very dirty twitching

Washington WWT was the venue this morning to year tick the Ferruginous Duck. It took an age for the correct bird to flap two whole wings and flash unadorned legs. It felt ridiculous standing by the edge of the pen, surrounded by displaying Eider.

After my sordid year tick I returned home, but was dragged out again with news of a European White-fronted Goose at Lamesley. With the first Gateshead record only in December 2011, still a rare bird here, this being only the sixth record.



European White-fronted Goose