HOORAY!! I saw my first............

Hi, folks.

After a walk in Wales and a lung-searing climb up Sugar Loaf mountain yesterday afternoon, I saw a new species of bird - for me, anyway. What I mean is, I had my first sighting of a species.

Isn't it great, when you excitedly identify a 'first' in your nature log? This got me to thinking that I would share this excitement with you wonderful people on this forum, as soon as I had driven home. As it happens, what I actually did was watch Springwatch, have a cold beer and then crash out oafishly on the sofa for several hours.

But I was thinking some more today and I thought, what if.... what if we had a link on this forum - a single thread - for everybody to share their first sightings of a species? We all love birds, so it is a given that we would add any new avian sighting to this thread, but actually, we could add a first of anything that we can identify, either by ourselves or with help from this forum. Birds, mammals, beetles, butterflies - anything in the natural world that thrills us and is a first for each person could go on this thread and the enthusiasm be shared by everyone. The best part of it is that even a humble Greenfinch (and beautiful they are) could be a first for a new wildlife enthusiast and end up on this thread. We could literally have anything from a Wren to a Wryneck, a Dormouse to a Dung Beetle. What do you think? I would love to hear of your personal discoveries on this thread and I don't mind getting the ball rolling. I started this off by telling you that I'd seen a first of a species yesterday, so here goes;

HOORAY! I saw my first........ WHEATEAR! I was taking a rest on the ridge of Sugar Loaf mountain and gazing down a steep tumble of grass, Gorse, scree and boulders. I suddenly became aware of a couple of birds running and soaring from boulder to boulder down below. Handsome birds - the most distinguished having a grey back, a bandit stripe of black across the face and a very obvious white rump. The wings flashed black in flight and, from this distance, the front looked an offish white (later seen to have quite an orange blush). The other bird looked browner and I later found out was a female. I then saw another male in the vicinity. Fascinated, I watched them sprint and swoop among the craggy rocks for some time, but they also seemed to perch in a very obvious manner on the top of the rocks. This is the first time I had seen Wheatears and it made my walk complete. I just wanted to share this new experience with you all.

Corriepaw.