LUCK!
Luck is a huge part of the rarity finding game. Fate can take you in a certain direction at a certain time in a certain place and lead you to an extraordinary discovery. You may not think much of it at the time but those unseen ‘extra’ birding senses (based on knowing your environment intimately, the birds within it and how it works as a whole) coupled with a smidgen of plain old luck can blend to that magic moment… but it isn’t always about untold hours and hours of efforts on a remote headland. Remember how Rachel Jones found the beautiful Dusky Thrush from the bedroom window in her home village of Beeley, Derbyshire, in December 2016? She knew it was different, grabbed a photo and was astounded by the identity. Others will remember how, in February 1989, birder Paul Doherty found one of the most incredible rarities ever discovered here, the Maidstone (Kent) Golden-winged Warbler, on a binocular-less trip to the post box. Rarities present themselves as and when they choose to but hopefully, whether you’re in Godalming, Grimsby or Gulberwick, my six-step guide will assist you next time that ‘funny bird’ pops out and takes you by surprise.