RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN!!!!!!

MEGA!!!! OMG!!!!!!
RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN !!!!!!!!!!

Found by Rob Martin along with James McCallum - see account here

FIRST FOR MAINLAND BRITAIN

First one being on Fair Isle 23rd October 2004

Initial news was that the bird was on East Hills, but found out later that it was actually along the west track at Warham - very sadly too late for many local birders.

Eddie and I were at Holme where I had just found a stunning male Black Redstart in the NWT Forestry at 5pm - sorry Gary - only a few nano seconds over closing time! I was just attempting to photograph it, when Eddie shouted across 'we need to go Pen - there's a Rufous-tailed Robin at East Hills' - I could hardly take in what he was saying, 'a what?' I shouted back. I ran across to join him to read those words on the pager as if in disbelief! Yep there was the MEGA message clearly on the pager at 5.05pm - "MEGA Norfolk RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN north of Wells at East Hills this a'noon. Access details to follow" - OMG!!!! Our excitement quickly faded as we worked out that we could probably just about get out to East Hills, but most definately wouldn't be able to get back with the tide, so we dismissed any ideas about racing off. I sulked and said s*d it, we'll find something good here. I proceeded to attempt to photograph the Black Redstart. Eddie had walked off up another path. We had intended on going to the observatory after this (open to members to sunset) - who knows, we might, just might, have discovered the newly arrived Red-flanked Bluetail caught the following morning! Anyway at 5.22pm (2 minutes after the second pager message, which Eddie missed as his pager is borrowed from someone and its on silent mode and we can't get it to bleep!) a friend rang us to alert us to this second message and that it wasn't on East Hills and that it was somewhere on the west track!!!!!!!! I could not believe it!!!!!

We ran and ran - it half killed us to run from where we were to my car. Neither did it do my car any good, belting down the bumpy Firs Road. Flew along the coast road as fast as I could get away with and flew up the west track, right up to the concrete pad - got the last space. I don't actually know what time we got there, as didn't look at my watch. I ran down the field to stand with several other Norfolk birders - some looked pleased and some looked massively sad/p*ssed off. The third and correct location pager message came out at 5.31pm (26 minutes later than the first message). In the now diminishing light, several people said 'there it goes' as I watched a short tailed, small bird in silhouette fly from one tree to the other side of the track into another tree. Can't really tick a bird with those views, can you?! If only we had been able to get there earlier!!! I am not saying we would have seen it, but it would have certainly increased our chances!

It's going to be crazy in the morning!! !!!!!!!!!