Herts Mega - 15.11.15

What a beast

 

My best ever view of a Great Skua!

 

After the early start the day before I was looking forward to a nice lay in but just after 8.30 I heard my phone buzzing on the bedside table and Carey telling me its already rung once. I saw it was Brendan ringing me and thought he wanted to chat about yesterdays success so I went to the loo and was about to climb back into bed and call him when I saw a tweet from @Tringbirds with the words Great Skua,Wilstone! With that I got dressed and brushed my teeth, told Carey I was off to Tring! I shot up the A41 passing Chris Sharp as I went and thanks to Brendan telling me to park at cemetery corner I arrived, grabbed my coat and scope and ran. I didn't run far as I'm so unfit but I reached the bank and set my scope up just in case it flew but there sat on the grass bank by the jetty was the first twitchable Great Skua for the county since the storm of 87!  I walked down the bank and around the bird so not to flush it and climbed back on to the top and just a few feet away was the monster. The wind was blowing a gale and after no more than 5 minutes a gust picked the bird off the ground and blew it into the air. It circled over the field behind the jetty and at that moment Chris and Joan Thompson arrived. Thankfully they got onto it as it flew off. It seemed to drop into a field near the smaller reservoirs but despite searching it wasn't seen again bar a report of it/one flying over Ivinghoe Beacon. Certainly skin of the teeth! Thanks to Brendan for calling as id have slept straight through all the excitement!