A Tale of 2 Desert Wheatears

On Sunday 9th November, it had rained all morning, and walking along the seawall I saw the fine male Desert Wheatear, looking rather wet and bedraggled sat on the sea wall directly directly opposite the net posts. It sat on the west wall edge of the sea wall. Later on when the sun came out, it showed along this same wall attracting a small gaggle of birders and bird photographers camped by the western wall, including Penny C and others, it flew nearer the caravan site and showed down to 8 feet, I managed to get a few more pictures here and was only disturbed when a door walker walked along this part of the wall pushing it along on two further occasions until she realised what she was doing and steered the dogs away. Meanwhile in the Turbine yard at Ness Point, the immature Red- backed Shrike was seen on the bramble bush slap bang in the middle of the yard. It flew to the walled area and bathed in a puddle on one occasion. I then went onto Gorleston and the excellent female Desert Wheatear. We watched her from the raised walk way half way along the promenade, between the Pier Hotel and the cafe. She was initially seen on the beach and half submerged groyne posts. Later on I walked down onto the beach and the female Desert Wheatear kept returning to an area close in by the promenade walkway where mealworms had been left. Several times she came in really close to within 6 feet on one occasion, I stayed put with 4 bird photographers. The behaviour of some "birders"/ "birding photographers" and I use these terms loosely, left a lot to be desired as they pushed the bird north along the promenade before they perched her back towards us. She ran onto the flat concrete floor area, feeding on the mealworms the bird then ran past us and onto the beach. Whilst on the beach, without being disturbed, she then decided to fly a long way north heading to the area by the breakwater.