Having just returned from Neumann's and finding 3 Whooper Swans there, the first patch yeartick since June!! I was in a boyant mood.This condition would soon change to headless chicken mode when at 12 noon ish the pager went MEGA!!!...Empidonax flycatcher Alder or Willow at Nanjizal,Cornwall.
This is spooky I'd just typed mega above and the ruddy pager has just gone MEGA!! unfortunately its only another lowlisters Bobolink...arsene wenger!
Now getting one over A* (stuck in Holland) and the closing pack of other A teamers (twitching LBH and Tanager) was never in my thoughts as Malc,Jase and I blitzed south on the M6 towards Cornwall.Six hours later we're stood on the end of a line of birders scoping the Flycatcher on a bracken covered hillside just above Nanjizal Cove,Cornwall.Franco had taken charge of the twitch and made sure all present got good views of the bird (what a guy), one idiot though turned up in a cold sweat to proclaim ''thats a Stonechat'', I believe he runs some dodgy listing club for stringy dudes.
The empidonax sp. performs well to the delight of the lucky few (probably 200+). Attempts to catch and ring the bird are unsuccessful (this was done the next day and of course the bird disappeared asap...oh dear me).Having sorted out the ID, I was in the Alder camp (honest!) we made our way to the Lizard to look for the Nighthawk seen last night and earlier today.Not a hoot or a churr even though it was a still,starlit night.So after a celebratory Guinness in the nearby local we headed back home job done well pleased.
It turned out after the ringing guys had done their business the flycatcher was ID'd as a 1st winter ALDER FLYCATCHER a 2nd for the WesternPal and 1st for England.
British List 499
English List 463
Marbury Patch YL 144
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