Dunnock

Another new venue to explore today, Monikie Country Park where there's a Red-necked Grebe on the North Pond. Checked the map, got to the North Pond, got onto the high ground with the sun behind. Scanned round, no Red-necked Grebe checked with another birder, he'd drawn blank too but was going to walk all the way round the large pond just to make sure. I was happy just to cut my losses and head back to the car. On the way out I checked the map again and realised my mistake - I'd been looking North over the South Pond, doh! The pond south of the south pond which to me made the south pond the north pond wasn't a pond by the map, just a big marshy area - comprendez?

Found the North Pond and quite quickly found the bird and helped a few other birders find it. Certainly quite distant, but given the strong sun there seemed little point in heading over to the North bank which it looked marginally closer to but simply choose what hopefully would be the closest point on the South bank and hope the bird came a little closer. Check out RCB for a montage of the best shots, distant yes, but clear. I later met up with a few birders who'd traipsed round to the North bank - they'd not even been able to find the bird.

On the way out spotted today's Dunnock photo, liked the lighting and the colours.