Crake Expectations

Well, they say timing is everything. If I had opted to venture into North Wales today rather then yesterday then I would not have found myself driving along the A55 twice in two days!

Browsing the web this morning, I was drawn to a report of a Spotted Crake at Conwy, so after wolfing down my cornflakes I was back in the motor.

I arrived at just after eleven, to be ‘greeted’ by the news that the bird had not showed since ten past nine and the increasingly heavy rain seemed to add to the despondency of the assembled birders.

Thankfully, some interesting birds helped passed the time: a Goosander fishing in the lagoon and a brief glimpse of yet another Green Sandpiper were pleasant distractions.

Finally, at quarter to two the moment arrived. I caught a bird skulking at the edge of the reeds and as it emerged from the vegetation it revealed itself as our quarry – a cracking Spotted Crake!

The bird showed on and off for ten minutes before it disappeared back into the ether like one of the ghostly baseball stars in ‘Field of Dreams.’

Build a reserve, and they will come.

In a totally unrelated thread – has anybody else noticed the current trend for naming small businesses with a pun? An excellent example is a mobile caterer called ‘Everything under the Bun’ that I sometimes see parked up on the A55. Shocking

Until later.