Unseasonal Hirundines- 'The Crooked Spire'

For a while, we had noticed that a 'twitchable' Crag Martin had been present in Chesterfield, Derbyshire for some time, so come this morning, we set off on an hour and forty minute joinery in order to try and see him.  It had been seen at 8 o'clock this morning, so we were quietly hopeful, as we arrived at around 10:40AM.  The bird had took a fancy to the Church of St. Mary and All Saints, renown for its crooked lead spire.  Instead of joining the already large crowd of birders, we parked in a nearby car park and sat in the comfort of the car, waiting for the bird to show.

The view of the Church from the car park

The tower the bird frequents

I have seen photos of the bird flying past this clock

For a period, no Martin showed.  Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon all flew over, and once or twice a Sparrowhawk flushed the Feral Pigeons sitting on the tower.  Yet suddenly, I noticed a small bird flying just like a Martin, and the binoculars of the distant birders had been raised too!  So here he was, a small, acrobatic Crag Martin.

Crag Martin flying over the weathervane

We all knew it was the bird, as all other hirundines would have already set off if not arrived at Africa.  It was so unusual seeing a Martin so late in the year, and the cold, blustery conditions were a contrast to the normal calm and sunny weather associated with the arrival of Swallows and Martins.  It was extremely fast and agile, making it hard to photograph.  However, it often paused in mid flight amidst the strong gusts, and stayed long enough for a decent shot.  It didn't spend all its time around the church either, and scoured most of the town for insects too.  It often flew over our car park, and even once our car!  Though the sun had come out and the bird was so close, its speed meant that a shot more than a silhouette eluded me.

Streamline Crag Martin!

Crag Martin over the car

Showing just how long its wings are

We spent many happy hours watching and attempting to photograph it.  It would often disappear for 5 or 10 minutes at a time before returning, and sweeping past the church, almost touching the tower.  As early afternoon came, we decided to leave, very pleased with our newest and overall rarest t date lifer.  Just as we pulled away, the Crag Martin came into sight one last time and signalled a heartfelt farewell.  Well…..almost!