Lidlington - Thu 16 Apr

For as long as I have been (semi-)seriously birding I have wanted to see a Lady Amherst's Pheasant, and I have made several attempts to find out where I could actually see one, including contacting those in the know...and every time I have failed in getting the necessary gen! However, this year news has been released as to the location of what is probably the last remaining wild Lady Amherst's Pheasant, so I decided that I would give it a go.
I was up at 3.30am and on the road half an hour later. A drive of a little over three hours, which included a Ring-necked Parakeet flying over the M25, and I arrived at the village of Lidlington in Bedfordshire (seeing my first House Martin of the year when I got out of  the car). Following the directions on the pager I hiked up the hill to the suggested viewing point, and from more or less the minute I was on site I could hear the bird calling, a most distinct trisyllabic call. What followed though was a two and a half hour wait before the male Lady Amherst's Pheasant finally showed itself as it crossed the top of the ride. But it was well worth it, a beautiful looking bird with wonderful colourful plumage.
The following photo shows the area that seems to be the only reliable site for actually seeing the bird, and judging by how quickly it crossed the ride I'm amazed that some birders have managed to get photos.

An entertaining chorus of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps kept me occupied during the wait and the following sign at the base of the footpath was worthy of a smile!

With the mission accomplished I decided against hanging around and headed back home, taking a slightly different route to avoid the M25 and London bound traffic. This worked out well as when I passed Newbury I saw three Red Kites, a nice end to the excursion and I was home in time for lunch!