Birds, Leps, Observations & Generalities - the images and ramblings of Mark Skevington. Sometimes.

Wednesday 7 November 2007

On this day ... 07/11/1999

A notable day from my birding past - but for the wrong reason. Dipping was alway annoying, and this day was no different. We'd blasted down to Cornwall to the Drift Res. / Tremethick Cross area and spent our time not seeing a pale phase Booted Eagle. This was made slightly more annoying by the tossers present in the dipping crowd that were calling and ticking a pale juv Common Buzzard. Not sure what happened to that eagle - was it ever accepted onto the British List? The reprieve (for me anyway) was a consolation tick with a Pacific Golden Plover at Culdrose, also a Red-backed Shrike there. In stark contrast to normal form, we also managed to see Black Duck at Stithians Res.

2 comments:

The Drunkbirder said...

Booted Eagle got no where, I remember dipping it in Somerset too. If you want to go by LRG Ego's IQ40 list though I'm sure you could join the many tossers who count pale-phase Buzzard!

Skev said...

You're right - 07/02/2000 saw me dipping this bloody bird again when it wasn't in the Shapwick Heath area. I'm now resolutely in favour of it never making the grade. I'd presumed that Neal Eves had split Common Buzzard into three distinct species (Brown Buzzard, White Buzzard and Mottled Buzzard).