A Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler turned up on the North Norfolk Coast in September 2017. Fifty, yes, 50 twitchers were reported to have entered a private field to get a photograph, damaging a cattle fence in the process. Wardens quite rightly removed these people.
One twitcher demanded that wardens arranged an 'organised flush' so that the poor bird is scared out of its habitat for these idiots to see.
I have never been, and never will be, associated with the twitcher fraternity. These idiots
clearly do not care for the welfare of the bird, after all, if the bird wanted to show it would do for a reason, equally, if it does not show, it clearly wants to be left alone.
Examples of behaviour seen here clearly indicates that these poorly behaved twitchers give real birders a bad name.
When people see me in the field I get comments such as "You're a twitcher are you", I immediately correct them and tell them I am a birder. When in the field and I see a bunch of twitchers, I walk the other way, I do not want to ever be labelled a twitcher.
I am lucky to have found a number of rare or scarce species on my patch, I share my finds only with those who I can trust to keep the bird to themselves.
Breckland Birder
Red Deer in Breckland, Norfolk Photo by Paul Newport
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