The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Sometimes it it is just luck that says you are in the right place at the right time

Today I tried my luck at Gibraltar Point once again. It had been a very quiet day for me. I had missed the high tide but took a walk on the beach seeing little but 4 gannets, 1 scoter, 10 eider and one grey plover that was looking very splendid in his summer plummage. Also evident was a peregrine and a marsh harrier


After a piece of walnut cake in the cafe I then decided to look in the trees and bushes around the plantation which had been so productive when I was at work. Again little luck except for a great spotted woodpecker

One or two people rubbed salt into my wounds by telling me what I had missed
redstart
little stint
water rail
pied & spotted flycatcher
thrush nightingale
greenish warbler
yellow browed warbler
buzzard (or even honey buzzard)
whinchat
stonechat

And then while I was talking to a guy in the sycamores just before I was about to leave for home, Kev Wilson spotted us, gave me a shout telling me to jump in his car as the thrush nightingale had been found again and if we were quick we could see it before it was released

So onto my list goes a thrush nightingale, in the hand maybe but a thrush nightingale nevertheless - brilliant - Thanks Kev - but two minutes later and I would have disappeared into the dunes and been on my way back to the north carpark

Other than the sprosser, a quick update of other sightings today.

Yellow-browed warbler - one up and down the west dunes
greenish warbler - I don't think this was seen 100% - there are a number of chiffchaffs around now which are giving disyllabic calls which seem to be giving rise to some confusion.
Cettis Warbler - one in song at Shoveler's Pool and presumably another calling in the hedge at Sykes farm and sang once.
Common buzzard c8 birds through
Buzzard sp - came in off the sea with 2 common buzzards and was thought to have been a honey buzzard by two sets of indepenmdant observers ( I did not see this bird)
marsh harrier
whinchat
stonechat 2
blackcap c25
chiffchaff c30
song thrush c30
robin c70
redwing 2
spotted flycatcher
pied flycatcher
redstart 9
meadow pipit 1000 south
knot 65000
and various hirundines and finches on the move

Kev

Well, look at it this way Chris, if I'd been there at the same time as you, I'd 've definetly seen nothing. It's just my luck!

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Alastair Carr

Where there is a will, there is a way....

To quote Chris "So onto my list goes a Thrush Nightingale, in the hand maybe but a Thrush Nightingale nevertheless" You'll find that there are a lot of rare birds that only turn up in mist nets. It would be nice for listers to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of a small number of amateur ringers who enable them to add another tick, rather than "in the hand maybe" which appears to diminish the value of the bird.

I didn't mean to diminish the dedication of ringers Stuart - far from it - just meant to portray the unexpectedness of the events of yesterday

I have only watched ringers at work a few times, 3 times at Gib, once at Anglers Country Park, Wakefield and once in Mexico - all unexpected events; again being in the right place at the right time but each time I have marvelled at their technique

All I know about the thrush nightingale is I would have struggled to identify the bird without the knowledge of the ringers and obviously I would never have seen it

It was an event I will always remember with pleasure and again thanks to all involved

You're O.K Chris, at least by me. My father's a real twitcher, yet he doesn't see it as a competiton. Althougfh it is a sport, he doesn't get obsessed about them.

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Alastair Carr

Where there is a will, there is a way....