SLATY BACKED GULL-RAINHAM MARSHES-LONDON 17/02/2011

After seeing the Oriental Turtle Dove we all had a whisky from the hipflask off the Doc at 8.00am to celebrate,the next target bird was the Slaty Backed Gull at Rainham Marshes.We arrived on site in London for about 10.30am but you could see that people were leaving as some of them including Dan Pointon had been looking since first light. We set up our scopes looking over towards the tip when Chris Batty ran past me saying its on Wennington marsh now! What a stampede!I rang Dan whilst legging it who was just walking back from the marsh who new nothing about the bird as he had just left there. I continued to run which seemed for ever with at least 100 birders with me.I saw Dan on top of the hill and gave it a final sprint,there it was in Dans scope! Yes U Bastard At last!The bird just sat there in the middle of the marsh preening and then lifted its head.All of us were so made up as we weren’t expecting to see this bird after another day of standing around in January for the day and not seeing the bird. We watched the bird for a good half an hour and then headed back to the car after another whisky from lucky hip flask! We would now have to wait and see if the BBRC would accept the bird!

Slaty Backed Gull

Me,knackered after running half way around the reserve

Birders on site

ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE-41 THE LEYS-CHIPPING NORTON-OXFORDSHIRE

Tuesday 15th February

A first-winter ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE that first appeared in Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire) in mid December 2010 was relocated on Saturday morning in a different garden. It had been feeding with Collared Doves and Woodpigeons on seed placed on the lawn and had been showing down to just 10 feet from the occupant's window. The owner of the property has very kindly agreed to allow access tomorrow Tuesday 15 February from 10.00am to 1600 hours at a charge of £5.00 per person. 

I made plans to meet up with Phil Woolen,Malc Curtin and Mark Payne and arrive at first light,when we arrived some 300 or so twitchers had turned up,so we joined the cue!

It was going to be a long day

Apparently the bird showed briefly and then flew off with two Collared Doves.We spent the next 9 hours walking the streets of the Leys expectant that it would swiftly return but it just did not happen and despite the extreme generosity of many residents in the neighbourhood who let us in there back gardens,it failed to reappear for the rest of the day. Gutted!

 

Wednesday 16th Feb

Whilst out with the family today in Llandudno the mega alert went off twice, the Slaty Backed Gull had reappeared at Rainham marshes which I had gone for in January and dipped after another day of standing around looking at nothing and the Oriental Turtle dove was showing well,the owners had said no one would get into the garden until Friday. The whole situation was doing my head in so I arranged a team to go down the next morning consisting of Pod,Malc Curtin and the Doc Brewster.

 

Thursday  17th February

I drove to Pods house who was driving today and we picked up Malc and the Doc up and we were on our way down south.We arrived just after 7.00am and we were the first birders on site but it didn’t look like we had a chance of getting in to see the bird as family were apparently not letting anyone in there house plus the the curtains were shut. Me and Pod decided to walk down the road and have a look in some other gardens!Nothing!On return to the house we couldn’t believe it the Doc and Malc had gone in there house,anyway thankfully Malc came out and we were in.Malc had tried to phone us but no phone signal good old o2!SHITE! Thankfully the bird was on show as we entered the kitchen,the fella`s wife was just stood there eating her toast with the children getting ready for school,at last we had seen it.

 

At last we had seen the Oriental Turtle Dove

Happy Days!