If you bird in the same area over many years you are bound to see some good birds; rarities and unexpected views, seasonal specialities and just birds you love. The odd thing is, you cannot help but check out a spot where you saw a good bird. Sometimes this makes sense. Birds favour ideal habitat so looking for a Nightingale on the 9th of May in the same bush you saw it that date last year actually makes sense. many resident or migrant species are site faithful.
Year on year it becomes more decrepit – just like me
This cowshed on the Old Deal Road by the Chequers pub used to be the favourite roost site of a Little Owl. For a number of years early evening you had a great chance of seeing Little Owls.
It is now several years since I saw one there, but always check it out, ‘just in case’.
Many of the rarities one encounters are birds that have gone astray. We know that some birds that went wrong once often do it again. That’s something I understand, if I take the wrong route somewhere I am inclined to make exactly the same mistake again. Two years running I saw a Firecrest on the same date, in the same small tree. It’s not that surprising.
On the other hand, when I encounter a rare bird just the once in a spot, often one that looks ideal for the species, I cannot help but check it out over and over, although as the years go by it becomes obvious that the happy accident is not being repeated. I guess that even although the bird isn’t, I’m site faithful.
