Muchas gracias to John Harwood, who kindly let me use his pics of the Red Flanked Bluetail here on the blog, as I was too awestruck to press the shutter myself.
If you want to get in touch with John re the Bluetail shots, you can contact him here
More than 24 hours later and this bird is still making me smile!
And how good to see Duncan Poyser in the wood, formerly a fairly regular fixture at Marshside, now sporting a big bushy black beard and wooly hat - well that's what happens if you move to Cambridgeshire.
Dunc, along with John, saw the bird in the hand when it was trapped and ringed on Saturday.
Look at all the people - shocked by the wonder of the 1st winter Red Flanked Bluetail in the Old Fall Plantation at Flamboro' today.
Didn't expect to see this stunning little beauty when I picked up Neill, Tropical and Bazzo at 6am this morning - and still didn't expect to see it as I walked down the Long Hedge at Flamboro' a few hours later - clear skies the night before and the bird had been ringed yesterday.
When we got to the wood there were the people and they'd seen the bird.
I've dipped this critter in Fife, in Aberdeenshire and on Bardsey only a fortnight ago, so I was made up!
A few fleeting views in the Long Hedge then it headed into the wood.
I followed it to the platform and waited.
Ten minutes later there it was on a bare branch 20 feet from me - blue tail, blue arse, orange flanks, white throat and a big white eye-ring - what a superb bird!
Great views - I was too blown away to attempt a digishot, but may attempt to paint it when it appears again in my dreams tonight.
As good as the singing male in Finland? You betcha!
After that (and plenty of Fieldfare, Redwing, Brambling and Siskin overhead) it was time for a big breakfast by the Lighthouse.
With our cholesterol nicely topped up we went for a walk around cliffs, without scopes - a big mistake as we saw a shrikey looking bird perched up about a mile away on the golf course which we couldn't id.
Hours later on the way home Neill's pager announced there was a juv Red Backed Shrike in the general area - oops!
(I won't tell anyone if you don't).
From there we went to Filey - very misty, with tired Redwings and Fieldfares coming in off the sea, but not a lot else.
Time to head home - life is good.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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Andy Bunting wrote...
Hi John
Just to say I've pointed out via the Martin Mere WWT wildlife sighting page http://www.wwt.org.uk/news/192/sightings.html
that your 'ramblings' can be found here.
I have issue a health warning with the link as I don't want to be blamed for encouraging 'the kids' to start a downward spiraling life of 'dirty twitching'!
regards
Andy
Posted by: Andy Bunting | October 22, 2007 11:14 PM