A day off work seemed a good opportunity to try for the Rufous Turtle Dove at North Roe. With clear overnight skies and a bright moon I feared it might be gone especially never having enjoyed the best of luck with the species having been abroad for the epic twitch to Orkney by JFC, RJF & JWK and abroad again for the St. John's Loch bird and even in moving up here literally as the Kent individual gave itself up albeit in the meantime I had fortunately seen the Oriental Turtle Dove in Oxfordshire. However, I need not have worried as on arrival at the scenic North Roe we were greeted by 2 Waxwings and then the finder of the Rufous Turtle Dove photographing it in a garden. It was then never out of view for the next 90 minutes as it performed admirably seemingly enjoying the warm sunshine. George Petrie then kindly gave us directions for a nearby returning drake Green-winged Teal at Bardister that we soon located before it was all too soon time to head for the ferries back north.
North Roe proving a nice setting for a rarity
Rufous Turtle Dove S.o. meena at North Roe
Drake Green-winged Teal at Bardister
