Lucky Break On Unluckiest Day

The seemingly compulsory title 'Spotted' Flycatcher (or the many variations) was just too cliched so I went for this even more hopeless one.

Friday the 13th didn't bode especially well for birds but I had a thirty minute saunter anyway. I checked School Farm but saw nothing and so headed down the footpath that straddles the cricket pitch. There were plenty of birds about but were flitting so quickly between the dense foliage that the brief glimpses they afforded rendered them un-identifiable. Consequently I decided to settle down and wait it out. My decision was justified. Soon, a small , nondescript, streaky brown bird hopped onto a small branch just a few feet away from me. Brilliant. it soon left but before too long a different bird appeared and I had the privilege of watching two Spotted Flycatchers for a short while. They disappeared for about ten minutes before one bird showed on and off for another ten. There were two of them and the habo looks good so who knows how much more I'll be seeing of them...

All my WALBOC Spot Flys have been passage birds in Autumn at the farm on the Airfield so this was extremely unexpected.

Oddly, my last two yearticks have been small, brown, nondescript passerines but I have enjoyed them more than most.

WALBOC Patchlist: 104
WALBOC Yearlist: 102

Most Time Like The Present

For me, its been fairly dull of late. None of the Swifts have white bellies, none of the Swallows have red-rumps, and none of the thirty plus collared doves are in fact turtles (you know what I mean). May has been appaling for me. I have been to the Airfield just once, Blackmoor...just once, and I haven't been to Boldermere a single day in May due to other commitments etc. Its a horror show, an apocalyptic performance but still, its the best I can muster. 

It hasn't been all bad though, the third Common Sandpiper in four years was on Boldermere sat morning (I wasn't notified til yesterday so didn't get onto it), 2 - 3 Cuckoos can be reliably heard and less reliably seen etc. and that's with two proper visits in total in May so God knows what else there's been.

The total WALBOC 2011 Yearlist is on 112. I am on 101 so have accumulated an unhealthy-looking 90.17857143% of sightings aka disastrous.

Patchwatchers - YOU ARE NEEDED AND VERY MUCH WELCOME