Woken at 06:20am by my daughter to the sound of torrential rain. Hmmm, maybe this'll have dropped something in at VP, I thought? So, with only a spare hour before my missus departed for work, I set off for the old patch.

And to cut a, not very, long story, even shorter.... there was nothing there of note... except the Water Rail showing well in the North Bay. Utterly dejected I returned home.

After dropping my daughter off at pre-school at 12:10pm I decided to head back to VP.... What an enspired decision that turned out to be.

As I arrived I bumped into a couple of Staffs birders I know and the one said to me "Your just in time for the Black Tern's".... WHAT?!!! And there they were, 10 of them in the southern end of the pool. They circled a few times before flying off north. Despite this I hurredly sent out a text to a few VP regulars.... Who most arrived in the next few minutes... Which were a few mintues too late. The Black Tern's did not return.

However, we al sat watching the Little Egret which was present and the Water Rail which was still showing extremely well in the same spot (with a Green Sandpiper nearby). I scanned right across the pool and saw a medium sized gull had just arrved, it took only a second or two to realise what I was looking at, a patch lifer for me, a 1st w. Mediterranean Gull!!! WOW!!!

I called it out and everyone swung round to look at it, not too soon as the bird remained only a minute or so before flying off south.

What a brilliant visit, with 2 patch year ticks with the one a major bonus of a patch lifer!! Excelent.

Patch Year List now a slightly more impressive 126 species!