Empidonax? Who needs it...

...me, evidently. I missed the 2008 Alder Flycatcher in Cornwall due to some lame life-or-death work/family excuse, so news of an Empidonax in Norfolk breaking on a Saturday was a no-brainer for a Sunday twitch, right? Except for the very expensive, pre-booked, bought and paid for day out at Longleat to which the family and I were being treated by doting grandparents. More rock 'n'roll birders blogs would at this point explain how they blew out their entire genetic line for a tick, but I didn't go, so I can't. Consoling thoughts as follows: (i) seeing it wouldn't have made me a better birder (ii) marital/parental brownie point jar is still half-full (iii) it's not even October yet (iv) I appear to have retained a shred of decency. A modicum of compensation came in the form of Buzzards and Ravens feeding on the carrion that the lions didn't want, and a Kingfisher skitting over the heads of Californian sealions. Weird. So I will dwell no more on yankie flycatchers, not be bitter and put it down to bad timing. Mind you, I could probably get Wednesday off...