Birding Magic '94.

The date and record sits proudly up there at the top of the list of goodies found over the years, this one in the days when dinosaurs ruled the world....Well, let's say just after!

Saturday 19 November 1994.

At 10.30am, I was at a location at Hest Bank locally known as Teal Bay and situated at the north east end of Morecambe Promenade. As I was looking through the waders assembled on the groyne at the high tide roost, I came across a plover that was instantly recognised as not a Ringed Plover if only because it had black legs. Bloody Hell....it's a Kentish Plover.

There was quite a remarkable claim connected to the Teal Bay bird, in that it was presumed to have been the same individual that returned to Rossall Point on the Fylde Coast at Fleetwood on the same day some 3 hours later.

Kentish Plover. Courtesy Fylde Bird Club.

I remember well, driving to Heysham in a state of elation, to alert the recorder at the time, to tell him of the discovery of a first record in our area, whose account in the Birds of Lancaster & District 1994 reads (abbreviated)....

Kentish Plover

Status: A new species for the area.

'The wintering Rossall bird was intercepted on return passage by P. Woodruff at Hest Bank, before disturbance by a windsurfer saw it's perhaps premature departure. Thanks to PW for driving to Heysham to inform me....pity about the windsurfer!'

All this was in my early days of birding, and was one of the starting points of what was to become a passion for me....Birding Magic.

The image is of my second Kentish Plover found on Plover Scar at Cockersand on 3 May 2011. This bird has the distinction of being only the second record this century, the last being at Marshside in June 2004.

The header image of the delightful Grey Wagtail seen on Aldcliffe Marsh on Monday's high tide was much appreciated and sent to me following some communication about a record query. Thanks Dan.