A misfiring twitch

 There is frequently some confusion about the origin of the term "twitch".  It refers to following up a sighting of a rare bird, ticking it on a list of some description (typically a personal life-list) and then departing without studying the bird further.  Usually such a follow-up involves some effort (recently exemplified by people who travelled from Sydney - or possibly further - to see an American Golden Plover at the Borrow Pits in the Werribee WTP) and often at some cost.  

According to Mark Cocker on p52 of  "Birders: Tales of a Tribe", which I take as authoritative, the term  arose due to a pair of British birders who travelled to see unusual birds on a Matchless 350 motor bike.  The guy on the pillion became very cold on Winter trips and would shiver uncontrollably - ie he twitched - on getting off the bike.

My attempt at a twitch today was a very mild example.  Following up on a sighting (with photograph) of a Spangled Drongo I drove from home to the Log Cabins on Rasmus St: a trek of 3.8 kms according to Google Maps.

Once there I wandered over 1.85 km for 51 minutes as logged by eBird.

I spotted a male King Parrot perched high in a dead tree.

As I was leaving, without seeing the Drongo, I watched a female King Parrot mumching some Pittosporum berries

I then took a punt on the bird having decided that the campground might have some nice perches from which to harass insects so did a lap of the Shire Caravan Park.  No Drongos were seen, but a squad of Satin Bowerbirds were a pleasant sighting.

I then went to Kabeethong where a drongo has been seen a few times in the past.  The Narrows Car park produced the usual Nankeen Night-Heron ...

.... but no Drongo.

VERY Annoying update!  A reliable local observer has just posted a comment saying that, a couple of days ago, he saw a Drongo hawking at the bottom of the paddock below our house!