Bogey bird falls at the Farm!

Beddington Farm has had a run of NE winds with some low cloud of late resulting in a handful of Black-tailed Godwit, and an Avocet stopping by. I dipped the Avocet earlier in the week and mentally had erased the chance of adding this rare visitor to my Farm list before I travel back to Laguna Blanca, Paraguay.

This morning conditions were almost perfect and as I was stirring from an early night a nightingale sang in my room (my ringtone!). Dodge who had already arrived at the Farm announced there was an Avocet on the North Lake.

I could not believe my luck two in a week or a returning bird?! But chaos soon reigned as these birds do not stay for long. After ten minutes of madness I was feasting my eyes on what had been a bogey bird for me with three previous near misses. A small distraction during this time was a Great White Egret that passed overhead. This bird was suprisingly trumped by taking pictures in poor light of the Beddington tick that was looking increasingly edgy as the wave of gulls arrived.

After a brief celebration with Dodge and Frank I did the Cafe run to get the teas and rolls in. The morning progressed with a small movement of Chaffinch and the Iceland Gull putting in another appearance.

The mound was checked for Wheatear without success but the skies looked good for something else to arrive. A Redshank made a couple of appearances which had us walking to the South Lake as it whizzed by. Prof joined the small group and entered mystery raptor just as I was briefly indisposed.

The pictures and this bird which had us stumped have since been closely looked at within the confines of homes with no definitive conclusions. The mystery will remain as it should do without a positive identification!

Not a bad day with Beddington tick number 181 proving once again the Farm provides when the conditions are right!