Friday 10th April; On Friday afternoon after work, I decided to head to Swineham GP in search of the elusive Red-spotted Bluethroat. Was it a good decision or a bad one? What even makes a decision good or bad when birding? Being a Friday, I knew getting from Ferndown to Wareham would be a nightmare—and it was. I also knew the bird hadn’t been seen since 11:20 a.m., so what possessed me to set off at 1:30 p.m.? Not only would it have been a mega lifer for me, but it would’ve added a bird to my county list. This turned out to be my first wrong call of the weekend, as the traffic ate up precious time, leaving me with only about an hour and a half before I had to leave to beat the homeward rush. I didn’t see the bird I came for, but I did add two new species: Reed Warbler and Sandwich Tern. Was it a good late afternoon? It was nice to see these birds, bump up the list, and spend time with fellow birders I knew. Still, in the end, given the traffic, perhaps it wasn’t the best choice.
Saturday 11th April; I made the same mistake of going in the afternoon. Why a mistake? Well, the day before, reports of the Bluethroat had come only in the early morning, with no sightings in the afternoon. So why repeat it? Was it the lure of a lifer or just wanting it on the county list, rather than appreciating it for being a beautiful migrant bird? Honestly, I think it was mainly for the list. I spent another two hours waiting for the bird to show, which it didn’t, though I did manage to tick off two more species: House Martin and Bearded Reedling. On the way home, news broke of a Hoopoe near Hartland Moor, but I didn’t see the update until I was already home and couldn’t go out again due to other commitments.
Sunday 12th April; I think maybe I should have arranged the family walk for Saturday instead of Sunday. I could have gone out after tea this evening instead of writing this blog, but I was torn. With work in the morning, I figured it was best to rest after a week of nine-hour shifts beside a noisy machine, thinking about coordinates, inputting data, and lifting heavy metal pieces all day—it’s both mentally and physically draining. I’m starting to think I’m not cut out for going all out, because in the end it came down to whether I wanted to go out just to tick off a bird for the sake of a number. It’s a lot of effort, and I can’t imagine how birders or twitchers manage to chase around the country—it must be exhausting and stressful. The idea of constant travel for birds is losing its appeal, as I enjoy wandering my local patches or visiting a few familiar spots now and then. Still, I’ve seen some amazing birds, including ones I might never have spotted without making the effort. In the end, maybe there’s no right or wrong choice—just a decision, whatever it brings.
# Reed Warbler 123
# Sandwich Tern 124
# House Martin 125
# Bearded Reedling 126
