Monday, October 29, 2012

When the cat's away...


It doesn't often happen to me on the patch, like it can to others who have more well watched study sites, but an odd occasion is all it takes to depress.

In 2009 I was on Holy Island when my neighbour had a Turtle Dove drinking from a puddle no more than a hundred yards from my door. I raced back and, despite looking several times during the day,  dipped. I still haven't seen one here. Ouch...  

Or the time in 2010 when Iain Robson had a Red Kite visible from my house while I was cutting the grass. He kindly rang me to give directions. I couldn't get on to it. It still has an un-ticked box on the Howick list. Painful...

And this evening I get this kind email from Peter Tapsell....

At c.11.00 this morning I was on the footbridge over the mouth of Howick Burn when I noticed a female or first year Red Breasted Flycatcher in the tall scrub just west/inland from the bridge.
I only had a brief view before it flew up the burn and back into dense scrub where I was unable to relocate it. There was no sign of it when I returned that way at 15.00 hrs.
Alas I didn't have my camera with me.....

Now the clocks have changed, this might as well be on Fair Isle...I'm gutted.

RBF is one of those 'hoped for' birds that any east coast patch watcher would like to see on their list. 

One day I'll get one in the garden, you'll see.

I'm off to cry into my wine...

( Great record Peter, I'll add it to me list ( un-ticked) and thanks for the message)...  


3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Depressing indeed Stewart - amused me though :-)

Ipin said...

I have a few of those... remember when we were in China and the lesserlegs turned up at Druridge? Green woodpecker and jay have been the latest two for me :-(

Stewart said...

Warren - Twat ;)

Iain - Its bound to happen at well watched sites like Druridge. You must have a lot of historical 'misses' too. Have you had Pacific Golden Plover, Rustic Bunting, Red throated Pipit...all on the Druridge list. I only saw the plover out of that lot even though I was going there at the time the others turned up.