Saturday, April 02, 2011

A taste of the Orient.....

An early start today along with 2 other hardy twits,sorry twitcher's,saw us heading for Oxfordshire in the search of the reported Oriental-turtle Dove.After the very entertaining experience of listening to Neil's entire collection of Motown music and the 3 hour journey,we eventually arrived at the bird's chosen garden.We were quickly waved in by the owner on arrival and promptly told it had just been showing,so we paid our 5 pound donation and settled down to the surreal experience of twitching a rarity in someone else's kitchen!.After what seemed like an eternity and enjoying superb views of 29 Brambling,male Blackcap and 4 Bullfinch which were also visiting the garden feeders,we got some fleeting views of the bird at last.We only managed to see it's head and body and also had some brief flight views as it was spooked by a passing Sparv,but at least we had seen it,although not great,but better was to come.We were then told the bird was showing down the road,so off we all went,to be told it had flown off again,this wasn't going well.Neil and Graham decided to walk back into town and get the car while the bird appeared again,when all of a sudden someone said it was back in the garden.We all made our way back to the house and i got cracking views of the bird along with ten other birders as it fed on the bird table in front of the patio,superb stuff!!,i willed Graham and Neil to arrive,but the bird flew into next doors garden and thankfully was still showing and they eventually got back to see the bird.This is only the 5th record for Britain of this very rare eastern vagrant and the owner's of the house have to be congratulated for raising money to save birds in Malta and for letting so many strangers into their home.A superb bird and my first new species of the year!.

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