Monday 30 June 2008

Away for two minutes...

Thursday, Colin found a little tern off the dam. Despite pegging it down there from work the lingering bird managed to de-linger itself and clear off two seconds before I arrived, leaving a bemused Mark who had been watching it up until I arrived.
The bird was undoubtedly still around as it wa seen again by Colin the next morning, but I had a band practise to get to, so I couldn't look around elsewhere. Doh!

Then, Colin pulled it out of the bag again, when on Saturday he found a drake Green-winged Teal in the lagoons. Now this time last year Mark and me found one in the same spot, so this could potentially be the same returning bird, coming back to moult, but we will never be sure. However, I was sitting in a garden in Taunton, Somerset, with a beer in one hand and a sausage in the other (from a bbq), so I didn't get to see it.

Arrived home Sunday night and went straight to the lagoons with full family. Enjoyable walk, but no joy with the teal. Did pick out a first summer Mediterranean Gull loafing with the Black-heads in front of the hide however, which was a little bit of consolation.

Later, had another look round and during this managed to stand on a blackthorn thorn (ouch) and tear all the skin off the end of my little finger through getting it caught in my tripod (double ouch). So, with blood everywhere, I failed to see the pesky teal. I am confident that the teal will stay to moult so let's hope I catch up with it before it becomes indistinguishable from it's European cousins!

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