Buff-bellied Pipit

Kingsmead Quarry 14:08

This mega rare bird from America had first appeared at the Queen Mother Reservoir in Berkshire back on 13th December - the day we were heading north to Perth for Christmas and despite me keeping fingers & toes crossed that it would hang around into 2013 it was last seen on 26th December when it had actually been joined by a second bird - hey ho. However 9th January they're both back and with visiting arrangements organised for non-permit holders this weekend we're hoping for a close encounter like my mate Alan where he was complaining of the bird coming too close for the fixed length 400mm.

Arriving at the reservoir we were given permits 90 & 91 and informed there'd been no news of the bird today. Hey ho, it's a big reservoir, actually it's a very big reservoir, so we started to wander. There were lots of folk wandering, but no sign of the birds. Half way round at the SW corner we had good close views of a Slavonian Grebe and from that point decided to retrace our steps back along the east bank, as that was the favoured haunt of the pipits, to the sailing centre.

Cup of tea and a bite to eat warmed us up and then the phones started, the birds are at the SE corner. A mere mile away let's go. Well they stayed there for around five minutes. Needless to say they'd gone by the time we arrived, hey ho.

They'll be back, hopefully, so we hung around. Then somehow someone spotted them, about half a mile away among puddles in Kingsmead Quarry. Okay through the scope we could see a couple of birds that were probably pipits and they were unusually coloured, but hey can you be sure they're our birds? Well after twenty minutes some birders were over at the site watching them and taking photos, so they were our birds, but they'll come back to the reservoir won't they? Another quarter of an hour and more birders had made the journey. I asked Mrs RCB if she was up to a quick walk & drive, she declined, but the temptation was too much for me. Mrs RCB was abandoned and after a couple of wrong turns Mrs RCB was watching me watching the two Buff-bellied Pipits. Result at last.

I returned to the reservoir and met Mrs RCB walking out. It had been my intention to drive her to the quarry, but she was satisfied with her views and we headed home, via Beconsfield M40 services for the Waxwings. They weren't there, but that didn't really matter.