A taste of the Orient

After seeing a fine picture of the Dotterel on Pendle Hill I decided that I would try and get a picture of my own, so on a glorious sunny morning Kes and me were off and heading in the direction of Lancashire. After a chat with one of the locals we started our assent and were soon rewarded with some cracking Green Hairstreak butterflies, I counted at least nine, one even allowing a close-up picture.

On arrival at the summit, somewhat out of breath I soon spotted a couple of guys watching something very close in front of them and I was amazed to see the two Dotterel walking about just 10 feet away. I rapidly put on my telephoto lense and leaving Kes in charge of my bag and coffee I inched forward to join the "crowd" and soon had some more than respectable pictures, 80 shots and an hour later I was well pleased and retreated back to Kes and we started our decent pausing in a sheltered spot for a coffee and a share of a biscuit and more Green Hairstreaks.

As I was already out and it was still relitively early and flush with success I decided to call round by Rother Country Park to pick up the Red Rumped Swallow. This proved to be a bridge too far and despite covering a lot of ground and spending 3 hours looking I "Dipped" and the onset of a rain shower persuaded me to head for home.

On arriving home a page came through of a Collared Pratincole at Frampton Marsh a bird which I managed to see at Swillington last year so I settled down to watch the end of the GP and some late lunch, then out of the airwaves the Collared turned into an Oriental Pratincole and my thoughts of what I would have off the chinees menue for dinner turned to a mad dash southward towards Boston. I am glad to report my luck held and a stunning bird put on a fantastic show strutting about right in front of its appreciative crowd, in good light I managed to get some pictures as well though a little distant.

This gem coupled with a first summer Little Gull and two Curlew Sandpipers put me onto 202 equal already with last year, ticker had a better weekend as well but is still floundering on 127.

Too late home for a chinky but still had the best taste of the Orient I have ever had and the first lifer in the UK for some time.