Bird Fair 2014 - a meeting of like minded people ......

A great day out, along with Peter, a birding friend with a similar liking for my local patch Titchmarsh LNR in Eastern Northamptonshire we pitched up early and had to wait half an hour before the Fair opened, good banter was had with fellow birders in the queue including visitors from both  Australia and South Africa.

The organisation was extremely good as usual and the weather was kind with sunshine, warm temperatures and more importantly no rain !.

Attending this show really brings home the popularity of birdwatching, the friendliness and politeness of the visitors was truly worthy of comment in relation to this society that we live in, there are a lot of very good, well balanced nice people pursuing this hobby of ours.

The optics stands were well attended and interesting, I spent a short time on the Nikon stand drooling over a 500mm F4 lens,  at only £ 5895, sadly my  '' plastic '' stayed firmly in my wallet but I did get, in my opinion, a good deal on a new monopod later on the Manfrotto stand.

 A couple of paper cups of black coffee at £4.50 a shot was a bit rich, but hey, what the hell,  the lunchtime burger went down very well.

The number of stands occupied by travel companies offering birding holidays to the four corners of the world always amazes me ..... they wouldn't exhibit if it wasn't worth their while.

On leaving the Fair we drove to  the other side of the reservoir, parked the car and walked to the Osprey viewing watchpoint hide and saw one of the six pairs of Ospreys at the reserve this year.

Sadly this couple, newly paired this season, were not successful breeders but there is always next year !.

A bonus was my first sight of a migrant Wood Sandpiper, Pied and Yellow Wagtail's were much in evidence.

So folks, its still not too late to visit the Fair, Sunday is just around the corner !.