A flycatching Crake

Down at RSPB Titchwell this morning a Spotted Crake was spotted so I felt it was worth a quick look. On my arrival there were some ten or so people but the bird hadn't been seen for about half an hour. I settled in and waited, then after about 15 minutes I saw a movement in the reeds and there it was. I alerted the assembled mass of now about twelve people and then watched as it crept along the reed edges. A little while later and it started to rush out onto the mud, half flying, half running and catching flies. Very strange behaviour for a Crake. Still here some pics:

 Local Moorhen gets annoyed with the new arrival

Then after work news of a Long-tailed Skua  had me and Oli scuttling down to Titchwell again. Very distant views so over to Thornham Harbour and spent a while watching eleven Arctic Skuas and a superb adult Long-tailed Skua - sadly too far away to photograph but looked great through the scope.
Overall a good day and managed to catch up with Mike Hodgson (ex RSPB colleague) Richard Millington who gave me a masterclass in ID of Icelandic and Continental Black-tailed Godwits and then later at Thornham pointed out a Herring Gull/GBb Gull hybrid (he is very good).

And once again it was really quiet at Titchwell. This evening only about twenty people looking for the Crake and Skua - excellent.