Another Wheatear

Won't be winning a photographic competitions with this one!

This morning I hit The Scrubs early, pre dawn with a novice birder en tow. I was asked by a friend to take this fella out to introduce him to the world of birding. To be honest, I didn't fancy it. It was too early in the morning and selfishly, I wanted to be looking for migrants on my own. It was too early to be conversing, scratch that, too early to be teaching someone about birds at 6.30 in the morning.

When I picked up Ed (who lived locally) I was taken by his politeness. When we arrived at The Scrubs I was surprised by his enthusiasm and vigilance. He wasn't a young man and his enthusiasm was what I would have expected from a kid. He was enthralled when I pointed out a closeby female Great Spotted Woodpecker, delighted when he saw displaying Meadow Pipits parachuting from the sky and mesmerised by his first ever Northern Wheatear.

I actually enjoyed taking Ed around. He thanked me prefusely and vowed to become a Scrubber. I'm pretty sure that in a year's time Ed will be a great birder. I'll have to get Ed to start blogging.