What a month September was for PWC - I really thought it would be impossible to top. But, good old October managed to do it with some real style. There were so many good birds, with multiples of Pallas's warbler, Pallid swift, and Dusky warbler, and a good selection of American waders, including Baird's and semipalmated sandpiper. There were 3 birds that stole the show though. First up, despite the fact that they're not quite the mega that they used to be, Moss Taylors mist nets bagged him a stonking red-flanked bluetail later in the month.
This was always going to have to play third fiddle to two finds that will surely rank among the all time rarest birds found in PWC for years and years to come. Andy Johnson fulfilled a long term ambition when he eventually saw the ringed plover that wasn't - he'd been looking for a semipalmated plover on his patch of Sandy point for some time, so imagine the thrill when the hard work, skill, persistence, and good luck finally payed off.
No less monumental, but a very different experience to Sean Morris, who had an out of the blue, BOOM moment when he looked through his window at Kinloch, Rhum, and realised he had a mourning dove pecking around on his lawn!
There have been some excellent birds found on PWC over the course of the year but these two really raise the game in terms of the Meopta and Forest Optic Best Find competition. Will one of them win it?
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