Twitching Alcester

I got a text from Matt Willmott on Friday afternoon to say there was a Ruff at St Nicholas playing fields in Alcester. Thus on Saturday a visit to the supermarket with Lyn was combined with a successful twitch at lunchtime.

This sort of unexpected record is what patch birders dream of. I don't know who found it, but I can well imagine their excitement.

Seeing that the Ruff was very confiding I returned later in the afternoon with my camera. Mike, John, and Matt Griffiths were already there, and were surrounded by inquisitive children.

I duly took a series of shots of the bird, this being my best effort.

Juvenile Ruff

I could have got a lot closer to it, but the attention we were getting from the local kids meant the episode developed into an impromptu wildlife lesson as they lined up to look through my scope...through both ends at once after they got bored of the bird!

Inevitably, although Matt was brave enough to lend his binoculars, several kids took to stalking the bird.

And eventually they flushed it, although it didn't go far. I left at this point as I could only see further disturbance ensuing if we continued to pay it attention.

Finally, Man U 1 : Baggies 2. Just the day I needed to distract me from work related difficulties.