At last I have had success with Wryneck and here's the way it went.

The weather was still very pleasant today and after paying my respects to the friends in the Royal Marine Band that were killed by the IRA on this day in 1989, I decided to go back to try and not only see my first  Wryneck but photograph one as well, perhaps today would be lucky for me, it's always a memorable day after all!  I needed to do it for Mac who died on that day and was a fellow birder and we often went out birding together when we served in the Royal Marine Portsmouth Group Band in Eastney Barracks in the early 70's.  I made my way towards where it had been seen regularly yesterday to be told that it had been seen only a few minutes ago and on the post just in front of us. The gathered throng assured me that I was going to be lucky today but even so, I wasn't hopeful. When I had got there yesterday, almost the same thing had been said and so far I had waited for a total of 12 hours without so much as a glimpse.  I wasn't too optimistic to be honest.  30 minutes or so later it was suddenly seen on the fence at the bottom of the field and after 55 years of birding, there was my first wryneck.

It remained on the post for long enough for most to get a good view and a few record shots as well but I suspected that it would come down on to the path just in front of us, I positioned myself with a good view and began to wait even though others could still see it on the fence. It amused me because one chap doubted my strategy when I told him that it would come down to the path, he said if it did I should buy myself a lottery ticket at the weekend. I said that the difference between the lottery and bird photography was that you can't predict the lottery numbers but you can predict bird behaviour. At  this, he shrugged and I am sure he thought I was stupid. Then, just as I had predicted and with everyone else 30 feet further up the path, here was the bird  just in from of me. I can't tell you how smug this made me feel!!! The doubting Thomas came up to me afterwards and smiled at me apologetically! As you can see from the shot above, after such a long wait I had at last got the chance for some great close up photos. I hadn't hounded the bird, it had come to me so that made me feel especially pleased as well.

Later on I was joined by Dave Land who had seen it and photographed it on previous days and as he walked down the path he knew I had been successful. We waited a little longer and eventually it perched on the fence along side the path again and then in a bramble patch and again presented some perfect photo opportunities.

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