Lightning strikes twice

With the autumnal equinox now just around the corner and the days growing considerably shorter, my pre-work patch visits are sadly almost over for this year.

After yesterday morning's total fog-off, my initial thoughts at 5.45 this morning were that it would be too dark to get in any useful birding time at the Brooks, so I almost didn't bother. I'm glad I did...

Arriving at the North Brooks at around 6.20 I set up my scope and almost immediately found myself looking at a Phalarope! The light and distance initially hampered definite ID but, moving round to Jupp's View, I was able to confirm it as a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope - only the second Pulborough record of this species and, remarkably, just three months after the first back in June!

Red-necked Phalarope - photo by George Kinnard

I hastily put the news out and was pleased to see regulars Alan Baker and Chris & Juliet Moore arrive swiftly, who I gladly put on to the bird. Thankfully it hung around all day for plenty of other birders to connect with too.

Otherwise it's been a relatively quiet few weeks since my previous post on here, although a patch tick Pied Flycatcher on 29th August and a Marsh Tit on the 2nd of this month helped nudge the year list up to 140. Not sure this year will be the one where I reach 150 (149 last year...) but if birding teaches us anything it's to expect the unexpected. One thing's for certain, I won't let a bit of a gloomy morning put me off getting down the patch again!

Pied Flycatcher