Starting off early at Fowlmere where I had very frustrating views of what I was sure seemed to be a streaked locustella Warbler. It walked off in to the undergrowth, and after fifteen minutes, I knew I wouldn't see it again.
Then drove around north Herts. and southern Cambridgeshire in a fruitless search for Dotterel, only managing to find a Yellow Wagtail and a Buzzard, plus a few Whitethroats.
We gave up near Ashwell as just over the border in Beds. a dark morph Montagu's Harrier that had been there all morning was confirmed as such. Our frustration increased when we missed it by a few minutes by not being able to find Broom gravel pits in time.
Giving up birding for the day we headed to Peterborough for some family 'stuff', but did manage to see a female Marsh Harrier on Flag Fen. Indeed, all was not lost as a male and female Dotterel had been found near Therfield Heath, so after dropping off Michelle and Sam, we saw what was to be a new bird for Tom.
