Red-flanked Bluetail at Titchwell RSPB!

After work twitch! Arrived at Titchwell RSPB with 'no further sign of the Red-flanked Bluetail' message on pager. I expected this to be honest, I mean, it wasn't going to stay feeding on a public footpath with birders, general public, beach walkers and dogs etc going back and forth! It was last seen in the sueda just west of the path. An usual place for a RFB to be, as they prefer woodland habitat – I have never seen one in sueda. The last one at Titchwell was amongst the trees, along the Meadow Trail.

Obviously there were several birders and locals here, but no one had re-found it yet. I decided to head out to Thornham Point, in the vague hope that it might have continued west. As I walked along the edge of the dunes, I found two Woodcock and a Snipe on route! I hadn't got too far along there, when Jake G. kindly phoned me up, to say he had re-found the bluetail! I returned along the beach for speed! I only saw the Red-flanked Bluetail twice, the first sighting was in flight and the second sighting at 2.45pm, when the bird landed briefly on top of a sueda bush, very briefly! But enough time to see that it was a 1st winter bird, I then lifted the camera to take a picture and it melted beneath the sueda! I don't think anyone got a single picture of the Red-flanked Bluetail this afternoon, it was extremely elusive. Its the first RFB that I have not got a picture of that I have seen, oh well!

John Furse turned up later, but sadly he was unlucky and didn't see the bluetail. It was bitterly cold at the end of the day and I had forgotten to bring my gloves, not a good idea! What will tomorrow bring I wonder?!!!