Saturday 11 September 2010

Here's something that happened on Sept 1st:

After 2 firsts for Spurn (possibly) along comes a first for Yorkshire! It had been found at around 10 o'clock but the arrangements for the car parking for the inevitable twitch meant that news came out around 12ish.  A mate of mine wanted to come, so I (foolishly) waited around for him to finish work and set off around 3.  You know what's going to happen...for 3 hours we stood around and never saw the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER that had been showing off-and-on for the morning and early afternoon.  Oh well, at least it's on my birdsI'vebeenwithinamileof list as it was confirmed as still there the next morning.  Damn and blast. 
Still there you say?  I best get up there again then.

The organisers had changed their tact.  The bird had favoured the corner of the sheltered field, particularly the big hawthorn in the corner, but due to the volume of people searching, there was always people within a few feet of it's favoured haunt.  So today they sent people arriving all the way around Old Fall, therefore away from the area, to view from a reasonable distance. Good thinking you guys, as after only 10 minutes of waiting, it showed really well for one-and-all.

Olivaceous is a great name for this creature.  When Lee Evans named it (I presume it was him) I think he did a good job.  Less so with his version of Little Shearwater (North Atlantic Madeiran Little Shearwater baroli! - what's he on?)

The Olly was very good, very distinctive.  The tail pumping is diagnostic, with a bill that could take your eye out, plus it gave itself up with a bit of chacking here and there. 

I might count up my Yorkshire list. Not that it's very big or with any blockers on it.  Or has it?
Blackpoll Warbler?  Did everyone see that?  Desert Warbler?  Nah, there's been a couple since the Flamborough bird, or was it Filey?  Amur Falcon?  Oh yes, mamma.  Officially accepted by the BOURC (Bill Oddie's Unfinished Red Cardigan - he knits) and split into 14 different species by the UK400 including Adult Amur Falcon, Female Amur Falcon, Ringed Amur Falcon, and Unringed Amur Falcon.

Bill Oddie once took an Olive-backed Pipit that had been trapped at Flamborough up to Filey in his car, released it and then told everyone that he'd found an OBP!  And everyone said "Well done, Bill, well done indeed!" and Bill took all the plaudits and I don't know why he did it, he just did. There, I've said it.  It's what every birder in Yorkshire has wanted to say for years but they just haven't dared.  Why haven't they dared?  I'll tell you why. It's because Bill Oddie is a brute of a man and will surely now hunt me down and kill me with his bear hands.  He has hands like a bear.  And why has Terry Jones burning a Heavy Metal magazine ended up with rioting in some Muslim states?  It's the most bizarre thing I have ever heard.



"There's Spam, Egg, Sausage and Spam, that's not got much spam in it"
Perhaps it's the spam/pork/holy pig link that they don't like?
Just guessing really.





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