A gaffe and I don't mind admitting to it

Its part of my therapy that I recognise my weaknesses and learn to live with them. Back in mid September some of you eagle eyed GOS sightings page watchers will have no doubt clocked an entry from yours truly of 30 fieldfare on the Blorenge. As I write with quaking hand I now feel it necessary to put on record the erroneous nature of this report. Why, you may well ask should a relatively experience naturalist make such a basic identification mistake?

The mistake goes like this:

• Early start en route for a ringing session at Llangorse.
• Nice clear morning so stopped to take landscape photo of Usk Valley.
• Encountered group of about 30 thrushes overhead.
• Not seen a party of mistle thrushes of this size for ages.
• Thought I picked up the characteristic 'chucking' call of fieldfare.
• Returned after ringing and uploaded record.
• Subsequent days and weeks awaiting a flurry of other fieldfare records in Gwentland, but alas.

I've learned by this error and will ensure I don't jump to conclusions again. So see above photo of a blue tit in celebration of my my new found caution and therapeutic admission.

A 10/10/10 jolly around The British in the hope of a late ring ouzel didn't produce the goods. However did clock a nice group of Richard's pipit or were they meadows? Earlier and in the cloud cover of the morning did note a black throated thrush or was it a redwing?