( Andrew, I am following up your Canwick Spotted Flycatcher post on LBC Bird Reports earlier today on this Bird Chat website as my comments and observations will, quite rightly, be considered 'chat'. )
Further to your comments on LBC Bird Reports ( re 'Spotted Flycatcher Bonanza at RAF Waddington') you are quite right about the random nature (and unexpected pleasures) of birding, and your chance sighting of a Spotted Flycatcher not far from your home in Canwick (every bit of 5 minutes from BBH) exemplifies that proposition. How many times do we go looking for a specific bird without success, only to find that it turns up when least expected and when we are not actually looking for it.
On the other hand and serendipity apart, over the years one has learnt to be philosophical about looking for particular birds (Waxwings included
) and not finding them......dipping (out). Even so, it can be quite a disappointment, to say the least, when that experience is repeated....and repeated. Prior to my connecting with the 5 Spotted Flycatcher families on Sunday last at RAF Waddington (thanks to Brian Eke
) I'd had seven successive dips re Muscicapa striata : (9-12 July) :
Linwood Warren, Market Rasen....revisit
Washingborough Hall Hotel, near Lincoln
Branston Hall Hotel, near Lincoln
Aubourn Hall, near Lincoln (£4.00 entry on Open Day)
Baysgarth Park (incl.car park) Barton (where Graham Catley had seen a family group the day before)
Scawby Park, near Brigg....revisit
MSQ - where I had seen an adult around the nest site on a previous visit but now the young had fledged and flown away from the nest site area.......... So much for thinking that parks, country hotel gardens, stately home grounds and revisits were easy options. All in all, three Spotted Flycatcher-less days after a fair amount of travelling, walking, hanging around and searching....and then finally making tracks for home. Mind you, there were other birds to see and enjoy, plus some very tasty hotel sandwiches and National Gardens Scheme fancy cakes.
However, no way will such events put me off my birding/Spotted Flycatcher hunting..... and what should happen on trip number eight (RAF Waddington) where I thought just one pair would be a bonus, I had no fewer than five family groups.....a real case of patience being well rewarded.
Freddy
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