Back in the U.K. now and although the first Sand Martins and Wheatears are arriving this week, there are many winter visitors remaining throughout the country. Scarborough has seen two birds lingering for a while and with the sun out for the first time, the harbour was the first point of call. A 'silhouette' of the castle, looking across the North Bay. Scarborough harbour frequently sees visiting Divers during the winter months and this Great Northern spends much of its time fishing for small crabs. A 'staircase of turnstones' huddled in the harbour this morning. After a walk around the harbour, we stopped for coffee at the local Peregrine site on the Marine Drive where it was good to see a few Fulmars returning to the cliffs. With the high tide beginning to recede, it was time to give Ellie a run on the beach. On the outskirts of Scarborough at Burton Riggs, a splendid Red-necked Grebe has been on the small lake for some time. Unusually, this grebe is in full summer plumage already and its presence is attracting many visitors. On my visit, it remained a fair way off and we had also lost the sun by this time, so I wasn't able to capture its remarkable plumage to best effect. Staying with the winter bird theme, last week I visited Tophill NR to catch up with a duck I haven't seen in years - the Smew. Wintering in the Algarve, I'm not likely to see one of these cracking male Smews and it was a real pleasure watching this bird diving and preening, in company with a reservoir full of Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and Pochard.
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