Quick sally

As a child I saw a Spotted Flycatcher. I was thrilled and went back home determined to draw it from memory.

I think I definitely got the robust beak right and those strangely short legs.

Spotted Flycatcher - The Hall of Einar - drawing (c) David Bailey (not the) — We’ve had a couple of days in Capri thanks to the Puffin Whisperer’s work and I dedicated one of the days to peering into someone’s garden with a very long lens. Luckily no-one called the police, as my Italian is rudimentary. I only know phrases like “Are you looking for snails?” and “A curse on all of the souls of your favourite dead ancestors”, which I appear to have picked up while being a passenger in a car on Italian roads.

I’m trying to get a photograph of the Spotted Flycatcher’s classic behaviour. I’ve just bought a copy of the Collins Bird Guide (3rd edition) to help me with my usual inability to identify anything, and it says:

Sits rather upright, often quite exposed, flicking its tail and watching for flying insects, then makes quick sally to snap prey.

Here is my best attempt at a composite photograph of what that behaviour actually looks like:

Spotted Flycatcher composite - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Today, I love it. Tomorrow I’ll be embarrassed by it and the day after I’ll hate it and want to do far better next time. For one day only I’m going to really enjoy having a single photograph which sums up so much of the life of a Spotted Flycatcher.

Here’s to you, small bird. May you catch many insects and have many babies.