Cresswell Long-billed Dowitcher

My fourth view of this bird but first time i pointed the camera in its direction. The results are very average but it was on the sand bar to the right hand side of the hide by far the closest that i had seen it. I see this as merely a record shot of the sighting.

Here are a couple of slightly better images.

Bittern, Gosforth Park.

Waxwing. Woodhorn Motors, Ashington.

Nuts

Most folk, especially the missus, think i am and i confirmed the fact by heading out to Gosforth Park in driving rain for a few hours yesterday morning. The bonus was that i had the reserve to myself only bumping into one guy, Peter, as i left. Nice start in the feeding station where i captured the image of the Nuthatch. Treecreeper and Great-spotted Woodpecker expected but always great to watch along with the regular catch at the beginning of December. Not much from the new hide although a dozen m. & f. Shoveler were nice to see dropping in together. Again pretty quiet in the Pearce hide with a Kingfisher fly through x 2 the bright spot. I did spend an hour glued to the reeds about 3 metres back from the pond to my right as my partner who was there during the whole of my visit, a Grey Heron acted as my second pair of eyes. Transfixed and totally ignoring my attempt to capture its attention on 2 occasions it gazed in the one direction for ages. Eventually i got movement in the reed bed  where it stared but the hoped for Bittern never appeared before i left.

Not a nut in sight for it to attempt to incubate !!