OSLO BIRDER: To twitch or no to twitch

Twitching Norway was all in a tizzy over the first ever Desert Warbler (rumour has it that it was twitched by some of the top listers dressed in football kit and without bins - what self-respecting birders travels anywhere without bins? Even Bill Oddie showers with his around his neck J).

I on the other hand, in my doubtful wisdom, thought that instead of twitching it would be far more productive to stare at an empty sea off Krokstrand for two hours. Despite there being white capped waves and a strong southerly wind there was zero bird interest.

The rest of the day was salvaged though when I first helped Rune finally connect with the Beardies. After this I walked back to the car and passed a whole army of photographers with lenses longer than my leg and worth more than the GDP of a small African country who were on their way to try to find the Beardies. I don’t think they will be too happy to hear that they must have just walked past the Kingfisher as only a couple of minutes later I heard and then saw the bird in Storøykilen. It took a while to locate low down in a bush and it was only its metallic blue back that I really got to see although I realised later that I could have easily moved 20 metres along the path into another position that would have given me a great view.

I do though think I might have to take up twitching again (I have good memories of a twitch for a Desert Warbler from Cambridge to Yorkshire - the famous Flamborough bird in October 1990).