Garden Warbler and Stuff

My first of the year in Pegnut Wood today will not strike fear into the hearts of my SFYL adversaries. However, whilst I was walking around seeing virtually bugger all this afternoon, I started thinking about the veracity and authenticity of my year list. For example:

i) This business of species x being reported at site y, and self-finding year-lister z going to site y and discovering that in fact 2x are present, so claims the second species x as self-found. This sounds a little dodgy to me. For one thing, would self-finding year-lister z have visited site y in the first place if the original birder had not found species x? Are you still with me? No? OK...but I'm seriously considering taking the few examples of this kind of 'self-find' off of my list, for my own peace of mind.

ii) I 'found' a Cetti's Warbler during the first few days of the year, but it was at a site only a few hundred yards from where they have been in residence for four years (apparently). Can I really claim this? I'm uneasy with it...

...and another thing, can anyone seriously, honestly, hand-on-heart-and-without-tongue-in-cheek claim to self-find Lady Amherst's Pheasant at the site that must not be named? That would be a bit like me claiming to have self-found Black-winged Stilt during a visit to Titchwell or Thornham back in the noughties! Let's face it, the Stilt didn't breed (apart from a few forlorn passes made towards the local Oystercatchers) and neither - to my knowledge - do Lady A's, unless one or other has undergone a sea bass-like sex change in its dotage.

Just my thoughts; I don't make the SFYListing rules, but I'm sure no one will lose any sleep if I deduct ticks from my tally!

ATB,

DOM

Lesser Spot...

I can count on the fingers of several hands, the number of times over the last few weeks that I have searched for these elusive little bastards along the stream that runs from west of Gamlingay through to Sutton. This morning, my persistence paid off with a calling female between Pegnut Wood, Potton STW and John O'Gaunt GC - not far from where I also had a female last summer (approx. 3/4 mile).

So thrilled and flushed with success was I, that until now, I had completely forgotten about a very interesting-sounding 'Chiffchaff' I'd heard a few seconds earlier near the sewage works. Must return tomorrow morning; however, this afternoon I have a larger target species in mind...

I think Matt was partially right; whilst I wouldn't necessarily say there is an 'edge' to this year's competition, it is certainly cut and thrust.

By the way, who the bloody hell is Matt? Is he Lord Lucan/ The Scarlet Pimpernel masquerading as a Bedfordshire birder? ;-)

DOM