Alexander Lees and James Gilroy have done a first rate job in tackling an issue near and dear to the hearts of birders and scientists alike. It is a phenomenon poorly understood by many, especially by the rabid twitchers who will forsake family, call in sick, spend a small fortune and suffer extreme discomfort to tick a rarity that has been "blown off course", when in fact the bird was probably not "on course" in the first place!
In his highly entertaining book Birders - Tales of a Tribe Mark Cocker explains that the sighting of a first-ever vagrant in the UK has the potential to confer fame and prestige on the fortunate observer, but should anyone ever forge or falsify a record, eternal shame and ostracism will surely follow.
Such is the nature of vagrancy for some!
