Wishing I was (at) Skinny

On the promise of some fossil hunting at Staithes, North Yorks, I managed to persuade the family to head up north early. A little while later, we arrived at Skinningrove to have a squizz at the lingering Eastern Black Redstart (phoenicuroides). This bird came in on the big easterlies a couple of weeks ago as part of a small influx, presumably from somewhere in Asia. There have only been a handful of records in the UK, so it was well worth a mini twitch! The bird was present on arrival, happily munching mealworms left out by the birders, next to the boulder clad jetty to the north of the village. The local Robin seemed quite pleased with this hand out too. The 'start was a little cracker but sadly I only had five minutes to watch it before I had to go and do my Dad thing. Some smart Stonechats on the boulders nearby were rather smart too.