The second week of 2019 goes well for the T-2006. Nothing unexpected but nice to get potential tricky species such as whooper swan and woodcock in the bag. A host of other species sees the wheels of steel roll up to 65 species and 51.18%.

The T-2006 shall now return to mission control satisfied. Yes, it's as happy as fish, and gorgeous as geese, and wonderfully clean in the morning.  

It is I, Tintin

Greetings

Thank you most heartily for allowing me to enter that most hallowed of competitions, the Golden Mallard. I can't claim I will bring you tales of cripplers and megas, rarities and vagrants, days spent scouring the seas for errant petrels. In fact, if I bring you tales of anything even half interesting I'll be surprised.

I must correct an error. I see "Winchburgh" has been listed as my patch. Winchburgh? That washed up, former shale mining village with no more birds than a crappy urban park! No, my fabled patch is around Philpstoun, a former shale mining village with no more birds than a crappy urban park. Quite different I'm sure you'll agree.

To introduce this avian paradise here it is...

The highlights? The Union Canal, some fairly poor woodland, and a flooded field. Stunning I'm sure you'll agree.

Best bird by some considerable margin was a hobby that shot over on my birthday several years ago.

So far this year the patch has probably already shot its bolt with a couple of waxwing, better birds may be hard to find. A singing dipper this morning added some winter delight but we shall see how the rest of the year goes. 

Snowy! Here boy!

PS Did The Proclaimers mention that I found the best bird on his patch in recent years?

Greetings insects,
Tis the T-2006 here. Once again back from the future to bring metal claw to human behind with an amount of force equal to its mass times the acceleration that the T-2006 will deem necessary. More on that later.

Anyhoo, at the end of the first week of 2019, 47 species were logged, which equates to 37.01% based on an (old) estimated average of 127. Let battle commence!

Meantime, to let the field catch up, the T-2006 shall return to its bunker, to recite three lullabies in an ancient tongue for the court of the crimson king.

New Year brings New (and returning) contenders

Yes indeedy, laydeeez and germelmen - out from the distant annals of time, still wearing its spangly cape and with a Hi-Tec trainer dangling from each er, camera, please welcome back the re-booted T2006....

T2006, yesteryear

It may look shit, but this particular device won the Golden Mallard (worth £50 on ebay) in 2009 and has also challenged for Old Snowy before now, with a fine Desert Wheatear in 2008 (which was, quite frankly, waaaay better than the crappy buff-bellied pipit that did win that year). Its been fully re-wired and made field-ready, and is fully functional, ready to go, or your money back!

Also, new to the competition, but with patch scores for the last two years as validated and vouched for by the Proclaimers, please welcome TinTin to the competition....

Tintin, yesterday

Yes, he's that good that he doesn't even need bins - or maybe thats just because his patch is crap? lets find out.....

Bushveld by a nose!

Yes indeedy - after several years of claiming that his Longhaven patch was rubbish and that there are never any birds, Bushveld turned things around this time, and while everyone else was floundering in his wake, he continued firing in year tick after year tick.

There will probably have to be an enquiry.

However, in the meantime, here is the final 2018 scoreboard, for posterity....

some scores, yesterday

So thats it for 2018 - presume everyone will be back in action for 2019 and blogging updates imminently....