Got a text mid-afternoon to say there were three Redstarts along the Guilder Brook at Fowlmere. Then got another one to say there were two Ring Ouzels there too. Great, except I was rapidly trying to finish some work off as I’d just booked a flight from Land’s End to St. Mary’s to twitch the Great Blue Heron that had arrived yesterday evening and had just been re-found. Didn’t get my work completed until after 6pm, at which point I went straight to Fowlmere. Bumped into someone: All five birds showing. Five minutes later when I got there: No birds showing. Despite the efforts of four other people also looking, all I got was a few seconds of a female Redstart. Worse, the Heron had been flushed and hadn’t been found by nightfall, so I’ve now cancelled my trip, lost £100, and missed a few local birds!
A Lesser Whitethroat (heard only) was the only other bird of note whilst looking.
