Very Ruff

Brian called me whilst I was at my mothers with my son around 15:40 and said he had a Ruff at Lea Farm, distantly on the far landfill. So I dashed home, dropped shopping and Ethan with Emi and shot down. Trev had got there just ahead of me, both were watching the bird from Ron's hide on my arrival.
I faffed about for a moment not getting the right vent, etc, then got onto the splendid distant little wader, which was a brilliant find by Brian.
After a failed search to find Brian Golden Plover, we watched the Ruff with newly arrived Pete, until it was just about too dark to see it and all trudged back along the path. Ian arrived as we stood in the layby and told him he would be very lucky to pick it up now....he headed off anyway.
This was only the second ever January Ruff, Brian Uttley reporting one 14th Jan 1997, last years February 2nd bird was the second ever February record, the first reported 19th 1990 initials (LB), if we knew who that was, we could validate it. Anyway, a great year tick 81 for me now and about my worst photo ever.

 It's the blob left of centre.









This puts the park on 82, one better than 2004, one more to be level with 2005 & 2006. This is without Great Black Backed, Yellow Legged and Mediterranean Gulls, Peregrine, Woodcock, Shelduck, Curlew, Raven, or Blackcap. With Pintail and Red Breasted Merganser at Sonning, both of these could drop in!?