Monday 30 March 2015

Oooh migrants! Bet they wish they'd stayed in the sunshine

Weather on patch has been piss poor, as has the mood, truth be told.

No birds about -- although a lone singing chiff a couple of weeks back from a sparse little copse at the back end of the patch hinted at a smattering of movement... a suggestion perhaps, that other migrants might be on the way. Not long after that a flyover yellowhammer was a welcome boost after a relatively lengthy year-tick-free patch -- good bird here, only ever seen passing through.

Then on Saturday I spied my first swallow, swiftly followed by two (count 'em) sand martians! So it's officially -- spring has most certainly sprung!

More importantly it puts me back on top of the leaderboard on 74.12%. Which is nice....

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Rarest of them all

Blackdog's rarest bird of the year this afternoon with the first patch Red-legged Partridge in at least eight years (when records to hand go back to). They used to be a little more regular before that when I believe there was a release site at Menie dunes, a few miles north, but Trump was clearly set on cutting off the supply and sabotaging the Blackdog year list. Whose pocket is he in for this?

Anyway, good to see a comeback, with this bird clearly seeking out its familiar natural habitat of fences and chicken wire.



Score update to follow soon....

Statto

Tuesday 10 March 2015

I'm n ot dead yet!

After having a year out last year, the Haddock is back. I also want to quash any malicious rumours that Cap'n Haddock is dead, taken up stamp collecting or holed up in a never-ending sex orgy. Or all three.

For those on the watch for these things, I haven't counted last year's total either (I did keep a tally although it wasn't my worst year, and I did find a female surfie too, which is quite good for here given I only ever get fly-by scoters).

Nothing special here so far, although it's nice to see the seabirds returning and skylarks back on patch.

Monday 9 March 2015

bit of a grouse

No blue robins here, and no new species, so just a photo of a grouse: