Firecrest and swan

Today provided links to all of the old bird finding cliches and proverbs;  

first: it doesn't matter how many times you check your local patch if there is something good lurking it will be found by someone who a) has never been there before or b) only visits the site about twice a year; 

Second; ---good birds show themselves to visitors but skulk like hell when you are looking for them

Third-----You don't find birds while you are stood talking ----

Fourth ---it always pays to be in the right place at the right time

hence it was today that I was stood nattering with Simon and Karen on Waters' Edge, still not having completed the usual circuit when occasional, very occasional, visitors Pete and colleague appeared to announce the presence of a Firecrest just 50m around the corner where I would have been if I had not stopped talking for 20 minutes----had I not stopped I may have self found the crest, had I been elsewhere I may well have missed the bird altogether so all scenarios were well covered; the bird was quite showy although in dense blackthorn and in terrible light to start with and then it became really elusive and only showed a couple of times in 3 hours this afternoon

Past records from the local patch are as follows:

male in song Far Ings March 24th 1982, 

male Far Ings March 30th -April 1st 1994, 

one in next door neighbour's garden, heard while washing the car (very sad) flew over garden Nov 4th 1995 

Viewing area November 10th - 13th 2000

Barton Reedbed April 3rd 2001

Viewing area October 14th 2004

Then as I was about to leave WE tonight at 17:20hrs a flock of 7 Whoopers flew west calling to complete a two tick day and take the tally to 114 and the self found list to 111

a couple of poor record shots of the crest and an artful image of the departing Whoopers are shown above---more of the Firecrest are on Pewit