DESERT WHEATEAR!

Post Twickenham visit on Saturday and domestic chores Sunday, and decorating tasks this morning - a holiday day, Sharon and I decided to take the dog for a walk. "Where would you like to go" was the question from Sharon, to which I replied "the beach". So it came to pass that just after 2 o'clock we parked at the beach end of Sluice lane, by the fishing boats, and walked back towards Normans bay, along what Sharon informs me is known as Herbrand walk.
A pretty uneventful 45 minutes followed, with Hazel (our labrador) mooching about and a distinct lack of birds. Having reached the outfall we decided to turnaround and head back to the car along the shoreline in the teeth of a pretty brisk easterly. After a few hundred yards we cut back up and towards the top of the beach where a small bird flew up and perched on a fence post. My immediate reaction was Wheatear and it was nearly December...
I asked Sharon to stay still and hold on to the dog. Bins up, "**** me its a Desert Wheatear", "Is that good" comes back from my lady wife, "Yes, ITS A DESERT WHEATEAR! A first winter male to be precise!". Immediate thought process follows, get some pics, its late (2.45ish) so get the news out asap. I get my little bridge camera out but the bird is moving actively along the top of the beach, it pops up on the metal grate near the sluice and I take a picture...

Bugger! Fortunately it stays still for a moment longer...
Thats' better, now phone the locals. No answer from Matt, Mike, Geoff, Al, Lawrence, Jake, all of them are out or busy! OK, send texts, done, phone RBA done. Now I can enjoy the bird for a bit, but it's very busy, moving along the fence line, then down on to the breakwater to fly down to the strand line to catch what are presumably sandhoppers, and then a couple of walkers come along and its on the logs at the top of the beach. I manage to get a few more reasonable record shots below.

The posture of the bird is indicative of the stiff breeze. Finally I have to relent and walk back to the car so Sharon can get some shelter, as I do so the bird is still feeding along the strand line at about 15.10 or so. Unfortunately when Al and Laurence arrive there is no further sign, a few dog walkers have been around but the bird was very active so may still be on the beach. We have a good look round but time is against us and at 15.55 it is pretty dark so I head off. Gutted that Al and Laurence haven't connected but elated at finding a quality rare in the greater patch area. Hopefully the boy will be relocated tomorrow, unfortunately I will be back at work.