Migrant interlude

Golly, a post actually about Wanstead. This morning I was out on the Flats, and somewhat despondent after yet another early and birdless start. In fact I had just tweeted something about it being rubbish again, when a familiar "chuck chuck chuck" came out of the broom. Before it even emerged I knew what it was. Yup, a Pine Grosbeak Ring Ouzel. They are undoubtedly one of my favourite birds, yet I rarely see them very well. Today was no different - it flew out of the broom - a splendid male - and looped around to Long Wood. As is so often the case, I only remembered that I had a camera at the last minute, so my offering falls some way short of what I would have hoped. However, you can tell what it is, and when it comes to gripping patch birds, that's all that you need.

I never saw it again, and neither did anyone else. In fact it generated a fairly sizeable twitch, with no fewer than six people turning up to see it. Shows how poor migration has been this spring so far. We spread out, but turned up nothing. Lucky then that I was able to show people the bird on the back of my camera. In the days of film, waiting a week to get the film developed, and then showing people grainy photographs the next time you see them, well it's fair to say that moment would probably have passed. These days with digital it is so much better. Instant gratification. Instant grippage.

Mind you, with a photo this poor, there is only so much gripping you can do.