counting coots

I was in the hide, and the chaps in the corner were talking about stuff.  Birds.  Telescopes.  Ruffs.  The chaps in the corner are patch birders par excellence - none of this namby pamby 'been watching this site for a fair few years now', no.  Decades.  Cap doffed.

Anyhow, they were talking and they said the magic word. 

'Med'. 

Upon the utterance of this word Mrs Thing may well have had thought along the lines of 'what did they have to say that for?'.  I may be wrong.  The problem is that I have a pavlovian reflex when they are mentioned or seen.  Instant excitement on a childlike level, and I can't wholly explain it. As I've stated before, I think that Common Gulls are good looking gulls -  but Med Gulls are good looking birds.  So when the chaps in the hide said the Med word, I was instantly animated and just blurted out 'What, here?' in a rather uncollected manner.  That's because 'here' is the Brent Res and as is common with this species, it turns up regularly each winter and sits in full veiw of the hide.  Rock and Roll!

I think that it is inevitable that one will turn up on my Fulham patch, and when it does I will probably post something on this here blog.  But that will more than likely be littered with vast amounts of excited expletives.

Here is a picture of a Med.  The larophiles amongst you will be pleased to note the black edge to P10 which although visible in this stunning photograph is not visible when this (adult winter) bird is in flight, and on many birds not at all.

Hmmmmmmed...

A Med doing Med.