Tuesday 13 July 2010

The Lapwing has landed!

1975 Little Packington, a year and site that remained permanently etched in my mind over the years and despite the passing of times and the passing of a few more of ' The artist formerly called White-tailed Plover arriving on UK shores I still had yet to see one in UK territory. Therefore it came as somewhat of a shock that as I glanced at my mobile following a meeting at work I saw those three words WHITE-TAILED LAPWING

My immediate thought was I'm at work, it's still early and it's in Kent. Only when I read the whole message did I see Rainham, Essex. Slightly less panic now and so it came to pass that I contributed to that great money gulping bottomless pit, the Dartford crossing and say patiently in the traffic until the RSPB sign of Rainham loomed ahead. It was now that I realised I'm no spring chicken these days , more of a Southern fried as I paced in the heat towards the wobbly cluster of birders on the floating boardwalk situated in prime Penduline habbo.
BINGO, there it was White-tailed Lapwing and a splendid bird it was, not just rare but a damn good looker on a great RSPB reserve that it situated in Essex and not Kent. If only Dartford could match this, Bob Dunn pools, the Pete Aley hide or even the Morris screen!
SUPERB

2 comments:

Phil Benstead said...

send it this way baz, it has been everywhere else...

Barry said...

Hi Phil
Norfolk will have to wait it's turn it's been far too greedy with River Warblers over the years and what we'd do for a twitchable Little Bunt in Kent!!