Monday 23 December 2013

Meopta and Forest Optic Best Find – November


After the hectic months of September and October it was always going to be the case that November would see things quieten down. The highlights section of our scoresheet had a decidedly wintery feel to it, Bewick’s swans, king eider, great grey shrikes, white-fronted geese, green-winged teal, shorelarks, twite, Lapland buntings, Richards pipit etc... All cracking birds and welcomed additions to peoples patches. Adding to this were a few lingering yellow-broweds, some now making it onto some inland patches, a glossy ibis found by Russell Neave at Malden and a Fea’s petrel of Ballycotton and the month was actually pretty damn good....

And it got a whole lot better with two genuine challengers for the Meopta and Forest Optic Best Find come the end of the year. Starting off in Wales and Matthew Meehan managed to pin down a penduline tit at Newport Wetlands on the south coast. A great find and a first for Gwent, a very well deserved 12 points for Matt!

Undoubtedly though, the star of the month was found inland. Nick Crouchs hard work throughout the year at Collingham and Besthorpe was wonderfully rewarded when he found a pied wheatear on the 9th November. Another county first and a very welcome bird for all Notts birders. An absolutely brilliant find and a real contender for this year best find!

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