counting coots

I remember well the day that it began.



It was late summer in the late 80's. My friend Mark and I had made our way to Cley. Mark was much shorter than me, and insisted that he had once seen a Lesser Kestrel. He hadn't. We were at the beach, close to the pillbox thingy and some kindly old gentlemen pointed in the direction of a small bird. We presented the optics to the eyes and behold, a Black Redstart. And it just sort of came out of me, "wow - that is fucking beautiful". Birders Tourrette's. The old gentlemen was a little shocked and suprised, but I think he understood.


It doesn't occur all the time when seeing birds and isnt connected just with seeing rare birds. The White-crowned Sparrow not so long ago could only produce Jazz Club type utterances - "oooh - Niiiice". At the other end of the scale are warblers. Last years Blyths at Runton, a perfunctory - "oh". But occasionally it rears it's head. Red-necked Phalarope (not even in summer plumage) the year after the Redstart - "whoa - fuuuuuck!".

I know that I am not alone with this condition, the Siberian Thrush that was in norfolk recently was described by a fellow blogger as a 'spunkdrainer'. Whilst amusing to some, i understand - this is a wholly fitting term for a bird that ticks the Tourrette's box.

Why am I rattling on about all this shit? Because I found this in a park over the weekend.


Just have a butchers at this bastard!

I'm hoping that I don't find a Bee-eater in a public place, could get nasty.