Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher has been a bit of a bogey bird for me, I've dipped three (one individual twice) and a long staying individual on the Scillies last year p***d off the day before Bun and I arrived there. It was well and truly in pole position on my list of enemies and deservedly so. I was all set to toddle off to Radipole Lake in Dorset today to have yet another attempt at seeing one but the news early on  was that yesterday's bird had gone. I guessed there was a slight chance that it could possibly turn up on our patch next. That would be nice! I figured that if it did pass through here there'd be no way it would get past Steve, no way at all! It didn't. I got a call from him at just after 3 o'clock this afternoon and was soon looking at my first ever Long-billed Dowitcher. At last! A first for the patch too possibly? A much smaller bird than I'd imagined it to be and very entertaining to watch. When all the birds were spooked by a passing Peregrine we got superb flight views as it circled around the field with a flock of Dunlin. It was much too gloomy to get any decent photos of the bird, hopefully it will stay  until tomorrow when the weather promises to be a lot better. I tried to get a video too but the passing traffic and keen wind made this even worse than the photos I got. If you can imagine such a thing!

Surprisingly not that much bigger than a Starling.

Well you can see what it is, can't you?