SLIGHTLY TWITCHY

Having now reached 157 in my yearly bird list, ( a personal record), it naturally becomes my target to reach 160  by the end of the year. However, to do that, means inevitably making journeys to see one specific bird. I am always amazed at the hundreds of miles some dedicated birders will travel for the purpose of seeing one 'lifer' even with the risk that it may not longer be there when they've reached their destination. I hasten to add I am not one of those birders. I need to be pretty certain my target bird will still be there on my arrival, and i am reluctant to travel much more than an hour's  journey to see it! 

Today was just such a day. With cloudless skies forecast, and some free afternoons this week, I didn't need much persuasion to travel to a reserve just south of Reading in order to see a juvenile black winged stilt which has been there for over a week, and has been reported with regularity. As well as adding another year tick, this bird is one I've never seen before.

After working in the morning, I headed over to Moor Green Lakes and arrived shortly after 1.30 p.m. There were just a  couple of other cars in the car park, and the occupant of  the one next to me  was just unloading his tripod from the . I asked him the obvious question; Was he hoping to see the black winged stilt?  As anticipated he said he was, and I checked the location with him, just down the track you take a turn to the right before the hide. 

Following just after him, I soon found a group of three or four other birders with scopes set up. There was a clear view across the East Fen scrape, and I soon located the bird in question, although too distant for a decent photo. I did attempt one  record shot and resorted to a short video to get the best idea of the bird, which for most of us present was a 'lifer'.

 poor record shot