Wryneck & Icky...

Despite spending five hours on Holy Island we never left the Snook. When we arrived we settled into our usual routine of one of us walking around the back of the bushes while the other waits on the opposite side to wait if anything pops out. Straight away my dad got a brief view of an Icterine Warbler in the plantation just east of Snook House.

An hour later there was no further sign of the Warbler, so I decided to walk around the back of the plantation again. It was then I noticed a shape on a dead branch. A quick look through the bins confirmed my suspicion; a Wryneck! I managed to raise the camera and fire off a few shots before it flew off the branch, and we couldn't find it again.

The highlight of a search around the Half Moon Slack and nearby pines was a brief male Redstart. Back at the plantation a small group of birders had appeared hoping to see the Wryneck. The Icterine Warbler showed briefly once on a branch and twice in flight before disappearing again. At least I managed to see it this time!

The totals were:

1 Wryneck
1 Icterine Warbler
1 Redstart
1 Garden Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
1 Yellow Wagtail -  flew over.
1 Merlin
2 Chiffchaff
3+ Willow Warbler

Wryneck - the intricate plumage details on the Wryneck makes it one of my favourite birds.