When I signed up for the #LocalBigYear challenge I imagined myself swanning about, finding the odd good bird, and generally exploring as much as birding.
But with a hint of easterly in the breeze, all that can quickly go out of the window. Today was all about twitching other birder's finds. It started out with a message from John Coombes that a Cetti's Warbler had turned up on his patch at Kinwarton.
I duly drove down there, and quickly located the bird. Typically it was singing loudly and was very difficult to see. I saw it in flight a couple of times but hardly at all once it had landed. John joined me, and for a while we wondered whether there were two birds. The male was singing with its normal gusto, but we also heard a sub-song. We couldn't prove it either way.
Also present was a pair of Little Grebes, the first in summer plumage I've seen this year.
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| Little Grebe |
I had a quick look at the Golden Plover field on the way back, but they were not present. Continuing on to Arrow Valley Lake I counted about 28 Black-headed Gulls but nothing with them, and noticed that at least four Blackcaps have arrived.
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| Blackcap |
That was supposed to be the end of the day's birding, but after lunch Neil D messaged me with news that Chris Lane had found a pair of Garganey at a tiny pool behind Norgrove Court last night.
I found them quite easily and managed some shots of the male before withdrawing.
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| Garganey |
I wasn't quite sure who knew about them, so left without getting a shot of the female and without a clear view of the drake. I've since seen some belters on Twitter so I rather wish I'd tried harder.
It's nicer to find your own birds, but making sure you see someone else's can come a close second.
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