Although twitching on a national scale does nothing at all for me, I am as manic as anyone when it comes to adding to my county list. So the news this morning of a Common Rosefinch trapped and ringed in Andy Smith’s Thornton garden had me displaying all the symptoms. A piece of shit in Shetland or Scilly maybe (although embarassingly it’s still not on my found list), but rosefinches are fucking rare inland. This was a first for Leicestershire, and not one that anyone ever really expected to see, least of all in a back garden in Thornton!
Due to various domestic chores (yet more pants to iron) I couldn’t get out for a couple of hours, but fortunately it was still present and showing on and off when I arrived at about 12:50. Scope views were excellent, but my photos are distinctly in the ‘world’s worst rarity photos’ league:
Due to various domestic chores (yet more pants to iron) I couldn’t get out for a couple of hours, but fortunately it was still present and showing on and off when I arrived at about 12:50. Scope views were excellent, but my photos are distinctly in the ‘world’s worst rarity photos’ league:
As expected, the ‘cream’ of Leicestershire’s spotters were there, but this visitor was a most unexpected addition to Andy’s garden list:
El Presidente helpfully points out to everyone that it's the bird on the left
Huge thanks are due to Andy Smith and his family for allowing everyone into their back garden to see this bird, and I hope NO-ONE left without putting a quid or two in the bucket...
9 comments:
The 'orange-capped' guy behind Lee is also a rare sighting...the one and only...Turin shroud himself...Dipper!...[lovely fella...still as daft as the proverbial 'brush']....
ps...another 'tick' was Mr.Evans using me scope....glad you got photo confirmation of this rare event...[thought you'd be clickin pix on the sly]..!!
pps...many thanx to A.S for a very pleasant twitch...and yes...i did put a quid in his bucket....[i took 20 quid out tho...not really....was only ten]......
Ah yes - I thought I recognised him, but couldn't remember who he was (the name Keith Lyons rings a bell?). Haven't seen him for years.
I only had 31 pence on me, so I put that in the bucket! When I see Andy Smith again I will give him 70pence more for the Mega county tick!!
You only need to add 69p Dave. The fact you've come out of the closet (see comments on Rob's blog) probably exempts you anyway! ;o)
Bollocks - I obviously left too early and missed the chance of another county tick on the day then. There were a few VC55 rarities in the garden today, let alone El Pres.
Dont let this £1 donation to the Charnwood Ringing Group fool you!! The cash will be used towards the Thornton Tossers Xmas party in the Working Mens Club (all are welcome assuming you live in Thornton and are a bona fide Tosser) and provision for a wader scrape in the garden of the Bricklayers Arms.......We are currently debating making El Presidente a honourary Tosser!!
Ah - so he wasn't taking down Andy's details to add to his massive database of every fact about every bird and birder in the universe ever, he was just filling in his Thornton Tossers application form!
Is the criteria for being a Tosser an and/or scenario or do you have to be resident in Thornton as well as a Tosser?
Errr....yeah ! Obviously it is an acronym of Thornton Ornithological Society, therefore belonging to the TOS makes you a TOSSER......(I think)Actually thinking of one of LGRE's sidelines we should start the Grotfinch Mobile Disco. Not quite got the ring of Nighthawk but quite catchy nevertheless.....
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