Eastern Crowned Warbler - Trow Quarry, Whitburn Co Durham - still present at least to 14:45 on Friday.

I answered the phone slightly irritated last night at 22:10 (just as I had been debating whether to stay up for Question Time, or to creep off to bed).
The news was pretty rivetting; - a British "first" actually in my adopted county at Trow Quarry!
Needless to say, in spite of having an important appointment in Newcastle scheduled for 10:30, I was at the quarry at dawn with about 100 birders already present, lined up in a shallow crescentic arc scanning all the sycamores in rather poor light. A Robin, a couple of Blackcaps, in company with a phyllosc; - sporting a supercilium a mile long, with a dark crown and white underparts, - the boy!!
At least it was here still, though better views required in view of the still poor light.
Although it was easy to see through bins, every few minutes popping up, it was so easy to lose between bins and 'scope, and for a while I contented myself just trying to get bins onto it rather than keep losing it, even though through x8 the finer details and even the wing bar, still eluded me; --patience!!
It took the best part of an hour to really nail it in the 'scope, bearing in mind time was not on my side. Eventually in good light (about 8:20) I had it for 7/8 seconds, and got the field marks that mattered, - bill size/pattern (ochre lower mandible, upper darker, and bill quite heavy for a phyllosc.), central crown stripe, centred on nape and rear crown, crown itself grey and darkest plumage part, olive grey/green mantle, greater covert wing bar, underparts white. I myself didn't get the yellow undertail coverts, but Ross Ahmed managed a photo which showed the undertail coverts well, - rather yellower than I expected.
This was my only British tick of 2009 so far and in spite of many trips east a real "life" bird, so I was especially thrilled with it. It really is a very distinctive phylloscopus.
The crowd was very well behaved and had built up to about 250 when I left, and at 13:00 when some of my Manchester pals (messrs Rayner and Gabb) saw it, they estimated about 350 people, so with turnover through the day, probably 500 min. will have left happy.
If any of you are contemplating the trip tomorrow (Saturday), it may be prudent to see what the weather does tonight, as these are not noted as long stayers.
For directions:
The site is south of South Shields and north of Whitburn, the key is to get onto the COAST ROAD (it's where the Great North run ends up each year).
Trow Quarry is between the coast road and the sea, some 200 yards directly seaward of the Bamburgh Hotel, (the quarry itself within 100 yards of the sea).
The Bambrough Hotel is among houses on the landward side of the coast rd and is easily missed, but it is the key for first time visitors to find the site.
Conveniently, opposite the hotel is a long layby big enough to accommodate some 40 cars, and one can park here (free) and just stroll the 200 yards to the quarry, which is not visible from the road.
I do hope it stays for any of you making the journey.
Regards,
Mike P.