Observations by djringer

My notes from 2018: "Escapee. I saw a small, slender bird foraging in some weeds, flying up and riding seed heads to the ground. Raising my binoculars, I recognized the bird immediately, having observed the species in both east and west Africa in the past. It showed an evenly brown crown and mantle; a unique sky-blue face, underparts, and tail; and a bold red spot behind the eye. It was quite slight, with a long and somewhat pointed tail. It gave a sharp double call note. It was active and skittish, and I lost track of it after only a couple of moments. I didn't have my camera so grabbed a couple of hasty digibinned shots, which show many of the field marks but unfortunately not the distinctive face. The images appear to show a band on the bird's right leg, though the resolution isn't very good. A fun surprise today, and certainly a beautiful bird!"