Saturday 31 March 2012

Wind!

Got down the cliff for 7. No land migrants seen whilst exercising Buddy. Set my stall out in my "hideout" and started to scan...Quiet! The predicted North wind was definitely more Easterly but at least there was some.

Gave it an hour and a half and things started slow. Then after about half an hour 4 Gannets wheeled north, shortly followed by 8 more, then another 4...Bempton? Quiet again, then a pair of  Common Scoters (65) blasted south. Then came the highlight...a Sandwich Tern flew north (66). No big deal?

It was to me, my first at Holmpton...and my Ton up 2012 for my new patch...

This, isn't the bird!

Now then...April 1st tomorrow.

A little anecdote. 1/4/2005 I was on holiday in Texas, High Island to be precise. The days brilliant birding included BELTED KINGFISHER. I had my mobile on me as I'd just sent a text to my mother. I received a text...MEGA...

You guessed it...BELTED KINGFISHER, Tixall!!! Now the location and the date did suggest an April fool but as we now know it was genuine. Needless to say when I returned and tried for it on Saturday 8th...it had unfortunately departed. You can't win 'em all and I wouldn't swap it for my holiday...but it's close...

This IS the bird!

1 comment:

Paul said...

Sorry to hear you didn't get the BK in the UK, but nice to know I wasn't the only one who didn't see it. Twitched it in Staffs on the Sat but it had obviously made it's way overnight to less than 20 miles from my house, if only I'd known.Let's hope it's not another 25 years before the next and hope to see you there!