When Less(er) Is More

Finally added Lesser Whitethroat to my Bishop Middleham patch list today, not a species I've made a great deal of effort to find in previous years and it looked like it would top my target birds list for next year but fortunately a very smart example provided great views as I walked along the embankment between the old sluice gate and Alan's Pool this morning. Also along this stretch were Common Whitethroat, Willow Tit and surprisingly a Sedge Warbler was still around. Alan's Pool itself contained what I believe were two firsts for me on this small lake, a Cormorant and a Little Grebe.
Apart from a quick detour to Low Hardwick were the only bird of note was a single Skylark the rest of the birding centred around Castle Lake which provided the following of note;
1 Little Egret (though 2 had been seen earlier), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 3 juvenile Little Ringed Plover hiding amongst the rocks and possibly the last of the year, 10 Snipe, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, around 350 Black-headed Gull dropped in early afternoon, a Kingfisher in the south-west corner, 3 Yellow Wagtail and a Wheatear on the fence behind the hide.

Kingfisher this morning.

Lesser Whitethroat is species #141 on my BM list and #124 for the year.