Tuesday 26 April 2011

Visible migration... not

We were late leaving work this evening... don't ask. To make matters worse, Ruth needed to leave on time so that she could get to a gig.

So there we were, careening along the country roads, when daughter says,

"Ooo, what was that?"

Dad: "What was what? I didn't see anything."

Ruth: "There was a small bird at the side of the road. It flew up into a bush as we passed."

Dad: "Nope, sorry, missed that. What did it look like?"

Ruth: "Red at the front with a black head."

Dad: "Sure it wasn't a Chaffinch?"

Ruth: "Not a Chaffinch. Brighter than that."

Dad: "Probably a Robin with a hat on, then."

Ruth: "Yeah, it did look a bit like that."

Dad, with dawning realisation: "You've just seen a male Redstart!"

Ruth: "Cool!"

Dad: "I. Have. Never. Seen. A. Male. Redstart."

Ruth: "Oh!"

Dad: "*%$£*^#!!"

On arriving home, we went straight to the ID book. It wasn't a Chaffinch or a Robin with a hat on, or a Stonechat, it was a Redstart. A male one.

Sigh :o(

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