A LITTLE BIT OF COLOUR TO BRIGHTEN THE WINTER

Rob texted me this morning and bribed me with a bar of chocolate ( he knows my weaknesses ) to go with him to Marshfield to try and see the reported Red Flanked Bluetail.  I sorted out my work and said ok as long as we are not too long as I needed to get back to do my posting.  He assured me that it was only an hour to get there and as long as the bird was seen quickly we would be back in plenty of time.
No problem I thought, got to Rob's about 10:15am and we set off with Rob driving!!!.  At 12.30 we were still in Newport caught in one of the worst traffic jams I have been in ( I thought everyone had come out to see Rob actually driving ).  Seriously though on the way back we seen what caused the delay an horrific accident involving a coach near the Caerleon turn off on the M4.
We managed to get back onto the M4 at the Caldra roundabout and it was main sailing from there and we soon found ourselves walking along a muddy field towards the spot where the bird was last seen. 
Within five minutes we were enjoying

as Rob put it, a little stonker.  A lifer for Rob, a second for me ( I went with Mr Bevan to Ramsgate a few years ago for one ) but this one was showing much better. I haven't seen Rob smile so much since Mr Bevan showed him a lesser pecker in Spain!!!
Above is another of my less than perfect record shots.