Thankyou Richard

It felt good this morning as soon as I stepped out of the front door - almost no wind and a stunning sun rise. Unfortunately I had a dentist appointment and a few errands to run this morning, so couldn't just stand in one spot and count vis mig... still, I did what I could with the time I had...

First off, I had a walk along the beach and around the yacht club - eagerly awaiting our first Black Redstart. There was nothing on the deck, but several Skylarks and a few Redpolls and Siskins went over, along with a flock of 40+ Jackdaws that were clearly on the move.

A view fit for a post card!

After my teeth were checked over, I was out again, this time to Beer Cemetery Fields. The view from up here wasn't bad either...

That's Axe Cliff Golf Course over there - have only been up there twice so far this autumn!!

Again, apart from over head passage - where ten Crossbills (a single and a flock of nine) and a few more Redpoll and Siskins went over - there were few grounded migrants about...

This was a total 'fluke shot'; I was trying to get the whole flock of nine in the photo but had zoomed up way too much and only got this one!

Then a cracking male Ring Ouzel appeared in front of me, but as soon as it appeared it disappeared! I saw it again later in the same place, but from a distance. I would have loved to have got a photo of it because it really was a real beauty - maybe it will hang around.

Anyway, then I came to my favourite field. The field that had the flock of Tree Pipits in earlier in the autumn, has had up to 250 Meadow Pipits in during the past few weeks, and looks oh so good for the patch's first Red-throated or OBP...

Oh yes!

Anyway, as expected as I walked through the field, up went loads of Meadow Pipits, with a couple of Lesser Redpolls in with them which weren't as expected!

I'd walked one length, and had almost completed my return leg, when all of a sudden (turn your sound up!)...

......a bloody Richard's Pipit!!!!!!

I know from experience these guys quite often just go when they get flushed...but I'm pleased to say this gangly goodie soon dropped back into the field, I alerted all the locals and kept an eye on where it went in. I'm glad it didn't bugger off as I wouldn't have got the above footage of its call!!

We saw it a few more times over the next hour or so, it perched up in trees a couple of times but was always quite distant, see...

A distant 'Dick'

And this picture, although probably even worse than the above pici, does show the colour of it compared with a Meadow Pipit to its right...

Dick and Meadow!

It also went it to a field on the other side of Mare Lane, which looks equally as yummy!!

Anyway, I left it at midday, but it was seen afterwards so I hope it will stick - maybe even for a few days?

Richard's Pipit isn't a first for the patch, Gav had a fly over on Beer Head several years ago. But it was a patch first for me - and a self found first too (no I don't keep a 'self found list', but I do know what I have and haven't found!). This, along with my Hen Harrier last week takes my patch list up to a respectable 241... I just need to pull back Ortolan and I'll be an even happier chappy! :-)