A new and impressive list for 2017.

I've got a new list for 2017. Here it is:

• Common Crane
• Great White Egret
• Goshawk
• Black Brant
• Rosy Starling
• Richard's Pipit
• Cattle Egret

Quite impressive I think. Yes, as you have no doubt worked out by now, this is a list of the birds I've dipped so far this year. Criteria are that the bird was seen either on the day or both before and after, and from a place where I've been and could reasonably have expected to see it if it popped up in front of me.

This weekend in Weymouth was a particularly good one for the list. No sign of the Rosy Starling in Dorchester, I went to Abbotsbury and was informed a Richard's Pipit had been seen well on a dry stone wall and then on a bush. Nothing. I bumped into four people who told me the Starling had eventually appeared in Dorchester. I went back - nothing, although I did see a lady walking her dogs who showed me a photo of the bird in her garden on her phone (for clarity the photo of the Starling was on the phone, not a photo of the Starling on the phone). well at least I had a couple of bankers at Portland Bill - Purple Sandpiper and Short-Eared Owl. Yep no sign of them either.

Back to Abbotsbury this morning - nothing, then back to Dorchester - nothing. Although I did see the lady and her dogs again.

The thing about this is I still quite enjoyed my birding, although not as much as if I'd actually seen any of the birds I guess. I'm still mulling over what that means about the value I attach to seeing rarities.