FARLINGTON MARSHES
We had a rather eventful Saturday resulting in a loss of a few hours sleep, so it was a pleasant surprise that news broke of an Easter Olivaceous Warbler at Farlington Marshes, Hants. This is a bird that I needed so we decided to wait for news the next morning before committing ourselves to the drive.
As it happens it was seen very early so after a coffee we took a steady drive to the south coast and arrived in two and a half hours, with Motorway all the way. We parked up and made our way to where the bird was performing well. We were around 30 yards away but as usual some needed to get closer. What followed over the course of the next two hours summed up what is wrong with birding. Firstly, cameras outnumbered telescopes by about six to one, one or two photographers appeared not to even have binoculars! The fieldcraft/good manners was crap with people wandering between birds and the bird. At various times people were claiming the bird when it was Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Robin and even Blue Tit!
Joy and I got good views and relocated the bird in a Sallow, the assembled crowd then joined us forming an orderly line in front of us, as I said – no manners!
Having had a couple of interrupt nights sleep we left for home and I had a leisurely afternoon watching the conclusion of the cricket.
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