Red Throated Pipit; Angarn; 14th May 2009

At last there it was, perched in the morning sun.....this was the reward for a two hour wait!

A heavy crop of this stunning bird....

Again another heavy crop, amazing how much detail the camera can pick up!

I decided to cancel a day out fishing today in the hope that this Red Throated Pipit, a cracking summer plumaged, displaying male might stay at the site, having been seen yesterday. I arrived at 06.45am, not a little bleary eyed and certainly very cold due to a biting northerly wind, which I told myself would of killed off the days fishing, should I dip..

At 07.55am my attention was suddenly alerted toa calling bird a short distance away and as it approached I picked up the warm throat and breast of a Red Throated Pipit which proceeded to fly right over my head before diving into cover behind an embankment. The bird then evaporated into thin air, not a trace of it for an age. Then, at 09.55am, just as I was thinking of settling for the flight views, the bird suddenly appeared on a fence post nearby out of nowhere. Some fantastic views followed through the binoculars before I grabbed the camera and fired off a few shots. The bird then flew overhead, again calling, before flying back out onto the reserve...

Also notable on the day were 2 Whimbrel, very rare birds at Angarn and my first swedish Whimbrels to boot! Other birds included a male Garganey, Shoveler, 45 Wood Sandpipers, Greenshank, Ruff, Osprey, 3 Marsh Harriers, Yellow Wagtails, Whinchat and 2 male Pied Flycatcher.