ON February 16 last year, as I got out of my car, I was surprised and thrilled to see a grey wagtail on the driveway at my block of flats.
Surprised, because I live in Dean Park Road, in the centre of Bournemouth and grey wagtails are birds of streams and rivers.
It flew away and that was it, or so I thought. A couple of hours later, I went and had another look, just in case, this time with a 300mm lens, more in hope than expectation – and there it was.
It was to remain for another six days, always on the tarmac driveway, never on the grass. The nearest other grey wagtail I have seen was on the Bourne Stream, at Coy Pond, two miles or so in distance, and there is no other stream nearby.
I pointed it out to the locals and it became an attraction with the neighbours. I explained that it would have been blown away by the great storms of 2014, and that this sometimes happens during windy, stormy weather. When it disappeared, that was it – or so I thought.
Last Tuesday, a year later, I got out of my car, and there it was, back in its favourite spot on the driveway! I have never discovered what it finds so attractive on tarmac, but there must be some tiny insects which I cannot detect. Once again it flew away and again it has returned.
A week later and still it is here. It may surprise some that so much pleasure can be derived from the return of such a tiny colourful friend – or maybe we naturalists are just simple.
IAN JULIAN, Dean Park Road, Bournemouth
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