tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24092468467141356232024-03-18T14:58:07.410+00:00Golden Mallard ChallengeThe Original Patch List ChallengeT-2006http://www.blogger.com/profile/03709122353907026355noreply@blogger.comBlogger1097125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-69497285453471387682024-03-11T14:32:00.005+00:002024-03-11T14:33:48.527+00:00Ooooo Migrants<p> Yes indeedy, the long wait for spring is finally over. It started on thursday pm when I bumped into 2 fresh-in <b>chiffchaffs</b> bouncing around the gorse bushes on the top lane. By friday, numbers had increased to at least 9 birds although I'm sure there were way more than that, as birds weren't being very showy in the stiff easterly breeze.</p><p>Managed to get out again on sunday, when in addition to 4 more chiffs, I banged into a very smart male <b>black redstart </b>briefly, before it booted off. Always good to get a black red nice and early in the year.</p><p>Another quick look in the wheatear-less fields this lunchtime and sadly, while they were still ear-less, I did glean a <b>sparrowhawk</b> for the year and another chiff.</p><p>Any day now for the ears, hopefully!</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-30133736627383665982024-02-27T14:25:00.006+00:002024-02-28T12:36:04.564+00:00Distant dodgy ducks<p> Yes, indeedy, on a weekend tip-off, I had a go at scanning for a pair of <b>long-tailed ducks</b> yesterday evening, as it had become sunny and calm. They had been seen from Cloghna Head at the other end of the beach, which is about 2ish km away....</p><p>Took a while, but I picked them up in the end. Hardly giving themselves up but they looked the part, honest guv! The ID was clinched when they upped and flew miles out to sea as it got closer to dusk, to roost in deeper water, as previously documented by Hope-Jones (1979). #ScienceInaction</p><p>In other news the <b>gull-billed</b> <b>tern</b> is still alternating between sitting on its humph in a field beside kilkeran lake or else pouncing on eart-worms up in the ploughed field. Here's the best pic that I've managed of it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBMcBWCPTu4bJKIg7jRDv2u5cjkcAwW9RXz9egDPbcawZNuLXOTPhkSW-ovhjT5BFjKDa3Yl_zQsJd3HEdvHT86kxB5lPlpc2nSI70rjI6zG7feW20Qqql4T5lNzcedbbs1WpoHeTQLIuQeA5skpIwC3hRUSFOtyO8rW6B8mHhMrbBU4qZPEB92wC1A/s1600/IMG-20240223-WA0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBMcBWCPTu4bJKIg7jRDv2u5cjkcAwW9RXz9egDPbcawZNuLXOTPhkSW-ovhjT5BFjKDa3Yl_zQsJd3HEdvHT86kxB5lPlpc2nSI70rjI6zG7feW20Qqql4T5lNzcedbbs1WpoHeTQLIuQeA5skpIwC3hRUSFOtyO8rW6B8mHhMrbBU4qZPEB92wC1A/w400-h256/IMG-20240223-WA0007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gull-billed tern yesterday<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Onwards and upwards - the dugbirds will be back soon!</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-84615362190074943752024-02-21T10:28:00.006+00:002024-02-21T10:28:45.466+00:00Mystery solved<p>Yes indeedy, although the patch has been largely dead for the first couple of months of 2024, the lake finally turned up the goods!</p><p>The weekend before last I was checking the lake and briefly glimpsed a bird in flight that I couldn't nail. The nearest I got was possible <b>ross's gull</b>. But thats the sort of bird news that you really don't want to be putting out so I convinced myself it must have been a funny med gull.</p><p>Fast forward a week, and I was checking the lake again and saw a bird on the shore that again I couldn't identify. This time, I was leaning more towards <b>forster's tern</b> but it didn't really add up. So I drove down the road for a closer look. It wasn't there. Went back home and scanned again from the Majik Patio (tm). There it was again, with a handful of <b>black-headed gulls</b>, with which it was a comparable size, though different jizz. Back down the road but it wasn't there. Again.</p><p>Then I saw it flying around - it <i>was</i> a tern and looked all light grey above - the wings, mantle, rump and tail were all the same shade of light grey, with white around the sides of the neck and a slight mask behind the eye. It landed, and I could see the legs were dark and the bill was chunky and dagger-shaped and all-black. By the process of elimination based on its size and features, it gradually dawned on me that it had to be an adult winter <b>gull-billed tern</b>. Result! Although, sadly not a patch tick, having had one in the same place back in July 2023.</p><p>The bird flew up to a nearby ploughed field and hawked around a bit before returning to the lake, always remaining pretty distant and I wasn't able to get anything better than piss-poor record shots. Luckily Old Spoons jammed into it nice and close flying from the ploughed field back to the lake the following day....</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiTP9lT9KzbBCO9RKBlIh07nJywJsnksqcHV_fd5h_6EJvjR3VbDzZ7Ws4lRqlqX6cEA0Gw6JSTRCQw2-ReOWeml8fXKxkDdkhKztPmfYJjBybvaM3rBCAmnOsKD9xQstMZnKVfnwOwMBhxDRNFKhOVHndv2FlT7dOJ-nzlvD6rSEx9LdNBtu62KT3A/s993/CC%20GBT1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="993" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiTP9lT9KzbBCO9RKBlIh07nJywJsnksqcHV_fd5h_6EJvjR3VbDzZ7Ws4lRqlqX6cEA0Gw6JSTRCQw2-ReOWeml8fXKxkDdkhKztPmfYJjBybvaM3rBCAmnOsKD9xQstMZnKVfnwOwMBhxDRNFKhOVHndv2FlT7dOJ-nzlvD6rSEx9LdNBtu62KT3A/w400-h266/CC%20GBT1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cracker!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz_lEDNtU-OX2KVZJ4PHOI6wfWiJQycQr44VU8tNY4qdev7_eZcktJdRu2M3gTkD9sTNQezSK6LxpaDglgYno0NsICLjxnDGojuSGYdq2MExqCfyJ0vigAlCGX11AoqnqkZcUka1P4Qo__mx0FFGYucJVAGuTKpIV0cGdR05Ms6BGNe9ztO_aq2eqvg/s997/CC%20GBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="997" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz_lEDNtU-OX2KVZJ4PHOI6wfWiJQycQr44VU8tNY4qdev7_eZcktJdRu2M3gTkD9sTNQezSK6LxpaDglgYno0NsICLjxnDGojuSGYdq2MExqCfyJ0vigAlCGX11AoqnqkZcUka1P4Qo__mx0FFGYucJVAGuTKpIV0cGdR05Ms6BGNe9ztO_aq2eqvg/w400-h266/CC%20GBT2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the gull-billed tern yesterday</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>My first contender for New Old Snowy for 2024 too - all good! </p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-82080494557748315282024-02-02T12:45:00.007+00:002024-02-02T12:54:39.317+00:00Every Little Helps<p> So, that's January out of the way... and February kicked off with yet another year-tick (#YAY). A distant but nonetheless fine example of a first winter<b> Little Gull</b> sitting amidst the Herring Gull roost on Rabbit Island yesterday elicited a satisfying "Fux sake. Jammy c**t" out of Seppy, which is always a good sign.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFRKMdNRWDmxKNPwQz-FS0zi8CqNxKbAWbmq3O6ltRVchtMPz5L4rwiwqtOTSPCN7AuKiv_Yr4vfr6nLKEgF3fjoHgyHecGI0l0FoVdurg9r26gyn9ZxfbiShTeyrjiPKerQ-Un1aHut5il04oPDPoINMQTBMB_Ji27q4NIt4nwBeVHyaLlrCebyMz1U/s1286/Little%20Gull.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1286" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFRKMdNRWDmxKNPwQz-FS0zi8CqNxKbAWbmq3O6ltRVchtMPz5L4rwiwqtOTSPCN7AuKiv_Yr4vfr6nLKEgF3fjoHgyHecGI0l0FoVdurg9r26gyn9ZxfbiShTeyrjiPKerQ-Un1aHut5il04oPDPoINMQTBMB_Ji27q4NIt4nwBeVHyaLlrCebyMz1U/s320/Little%20Gull.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crap phone-to-scope photo... cracking early year-tick</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The patch flew along in January, in fairness, fuelled by some very handy lingering birds from December (here's looking at you, <b>Ring-necked Duck</b>, <b>Scaup</b>, <b>Goldeney</b>, <b>Cattle Egret</b> and... drumroll... <b>Slavonian Grebe)</b>. A <b>Coot</b> on the lake towards the end of the month was another welcome addition, and a full-fat patch tick in the form of a superb redhead <b>Goosander</b> on Squince Lagoon was pure gold.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69yqK6fUD_F6lmRUVYn78R53GYyJWxx-AaPZabWCBIY4PPISmWLKZbcnqMQ3o42iZaCFmI2VuLOdUxnMRgoiBdGPE43S47t16KVpjImjjco2e7ulvwTc__DQ_-a0aRrNepl1d4w_0Q6ygn4QI_JacHExJCBd8wO4hJQmKQ7qukqANRLo054Wdsxej5zI/s2075/Goosander.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1556" data-original-width="2075" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69yqK6fUD_F6lmRUVYn78R53GYyJWxx-AaPZabWCBIY4PPISmWLKZbcnqMQ3o42iZaCFmI2VuLOdUxnMRgoiBdGPE43S47t16KVpjImjjco2e7ulvwTc__DQ_-a0aRrNepl1d4w_0Q6ygn4QI_JacHExJCBd8wO4hJQmKQ7qukqANRLo054Wdsxej5zI/s320/Goosander.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this Seppy's bird from Kilkeran a few weeks back?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>All of which January japery takes me to a healthy 89 species for the year, or 71.01% in real currency. Which is great... but leaves very little scope for tickage until the migs start rolling in (I hope). Onwards!</p>Basil Faultyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918442424570574378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-16282348637810510722024-01-19T13:00:00.005+00:002024-01-19T13:00:57.482+00:00Full Fat Ahoy!<p> Yes indeedy - there I was, carefully scoping the gull flock on the lake for anything decent at all, when all of a sudden I noticed a big, cigar-shaped duck type thing flying around - <b>Goosander</b> ya bas! Amayzing! Lost it behind the annoying pine tree and couldn't pick it up again, but a quick scoot down the road to check more closely didn't reveal any further sign. Total jam - just happened to be in the right place at the right time! That plus the pair of <b>wigeon</b> this am moves me up to 73 or 52.02% for the year - first full fat patch tick since the <b>pink-footed goose</b> last October - now on 226 for the Galley list, which is the most important list of the lot!</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-46145003369108611622024-01-13T12:34:00.011+00:002024-01-13T12:39:44.912+00:00The Return of Reg<p> Yes indeedy - everyone's favourite showbiz policeman Reg Hollis has stepped out of retirement, indeed at the same time as stepping into retirement! Confused? Don't worry, the net result will be Reg out front at the end of the year, most likely with New Old Snowy also in the bag. Still, hopefully a bit of additional competion will lead to all the other competitors giving it 110% to try and upset his dastardly plans!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzd_vXA6tXiMUuYHLEYYUKuuBl2qgHEmuTScJnZLYBc55xXH9BLr81xxaGqx8bRd2ABT1-dDTQ40xb3GpkSwvtIvP7jKOhU6Ho7ilVgR-MzzSbtKC5V-d0SLdyf6XOFvJeDjUmRPE4d3XkeQhp_Dvngiuf-8SA-TKB7UEcqWlMPLEY-IT8SAzXwh_1g/s520/reg.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="520" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzd_vXA6tXiMUuYHLEYYUKuuBl2qgHEmuTScJnZLYBc55xXH9BLr81xxaGqx8bRd2ABT1-dDTQ40xb3GpkSwvtIvP7jKOhU6Ho7ilVgR-MzzSbtKC5V-d0SLdyf6XOFvJeDjUmRPE4d3XkeQhp_Dvngiuf-8SA-TKB7UEcqWlMPLEY-IT8SAzXwh_1g/w400-h295/reg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reg eagerly puts out the news of his Green-winged Teal that he's found already on patch this year....</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Best get back out there lads!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-1475890596128911822024-01-02T13:32:00.004+00:002024-01-02T13:32:53.772+00:00All Hail Lord Bushveld<p> Yes indeedy, the 2023 patch challenge has finally drawn to a close, even though its been sewn (stitched?) up since about mid-July. Lord Bushveld has somehow managed to join Sepp Blatter in the exclusive Three-time Winners club, with a fine final score of 112.22%. Congratulations, and look out for the Golden Mallard (worth at least £50 on ebay) arriving in the post sometime around June 2024!</p><p>Herewith are the 2023 final scores, in order to allow eternal reviewing and scrutiny....</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5-uAsML5g89avAgu2WvR0-sGX_9n2YdAK2LlkRf0VTJi2zmZEtJ5KJJm2ncOh6dH3_HY4w2mweUNIF0S4OAGKLWwllfhnGcEZ7E3lJRlAX5_GxzeIhWBV1CjQHIQuOTr2HBbPUAd5OEFcTdW2AvyD73tmvgF0JgSoh2THjxBlv3kFsAwOAKPPUgd3g/s1301/23%20scores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1301" data-original-width="972" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5-uAsML5g89avAgu2WvR0-sGX_9n2YdAK2LlkRf0VTJi2zmZEtJ5KJJm2ncOh6dH3_HY4w2mweUNIF0S4OAGKLWwllfhnGcEZ7E3lJRlAX5_GxzeIhWBV1CjQHIQuOTr2HBbPUAd5OEFcTdW2AvyD73tmvgF0JgSoh2THjxBlv3kFsAwOAKPPUgd3g/w299-h400/23%20scores.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some scores, yesterday</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Top marks to Basil Faulty for being "best of the Irish", even though he's Welsh and fair play (if thats not a step too far) to Sepp Blatter for managing to make the podium yet again, despite everything. Last and indeed the least said the better, commiserations to the Proclaimers who were forced into a DNF* due to mid-year laptop failure in combination with general ineptness. Hopefully they'll be able to get it together again for 2024.</p><p>Happy New Year to all contenders and faithful blog followers (if there even are any?) - the 2024 competition is now open! Worth a moment of contemplation to consider that this is the 20th year of the original patch challenge competition! How cool is that?</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Did Not Finish</span></p><p><br /></p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-10602895514408029822023-12-31T23:03:00.000+00:002023-12-31T23:03:01.577+00:00That was the year that was...<p> That was the year in which Longhaven recorded its highest ever total, finishing on a mighty 135 species for the patch, smashing the previous highest by a whole 9 species.</p><p><br /></p><p>Best birds of the year were undoubtedly:</p><p>1st - Semi-palmated sandpiper</p><p>2nd - green winged teal.</p><p>3rd - Taiga Bean goose</p><p><br /></p><p>A whole plethora of patch firsts this year included an array of waders: little ringed plover, curlew sandpiper, little stints, purple sand and of course the semi-p. Other full fat patch ticks included rather shamely little egret and sooty shear'. </p><p><br /></p><p>Notable absences included yellow-browed warbler and both grey wag and siskin both of which I vaguely remember getting but never properly recorded, so they're not on the list.</p><p>So that's it for 2023. Another year slides into the record books and another one begins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Good luck every one hope the patch rares will be plentiful.</p><p>Final scores on the doors for 2023 - 135 species, 112.22%.</p><p>Happy days</p><p><br /></p><p>Bushveld</p>Cotehillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374400643398235801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-78537600177890511002023-12-23T15:13:00.005+00:002023-12-23T15:16:42.432+00:00More "just off the beach" japes<p> Urged into uncharacteristic action by Seppy's "just off the beach" tickage, I've been checking Squince a fair bit over the past week, more out of desperation than expectation, it has to be said. With him breathing down my neck, just .02 of a % behind in the race for "best of the losers", anything would do -- stock dove, peregrine, collared dove... hardly too much to ask, is it?</p><p>What I certainly wasn't expecting was to stumble into this fine Slavonian Grebe at Squince this very morning. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgip9Q5YRTCdgsP2SDK-mVoI7i2FmZZObYwy7cou9smNlekbQQpmzAE11gKeU_sTG-JhytttmfDyCFtK9ARXrjwumU0Czt74zwrQ_c3V20FIkA-ssd775E8NHKdZS8CADBxmA6G7f8_cwdExhiqwoXXcuSscmC72WvPwtYxTN9bcXf8f5ldI7dlt9tBqM/s528/SlavJustOffTheBeach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="528" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgip9Q5YRTCdgsP2SDK-mVoI7i2FmZZObYwy7cou9smNlekbQQpmzAE11gKeU_sTG-JhytttmfDyCFtK9ARXrjwumU0Czt74zwrQ_c3V20FIkA-ssd775E8NHKdZS8CADBxmA6G7f8_cwdExhiqwoXXcuSscmC72WvPwtYxTN9bcXf8f5ldI7dlt9tBqM/s320/SlavJustOffTheBeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>A-la Seppy's LTD, it was literally "just off the beach".</p><p>Happy daze! Moves me to a not too shabby 103.23% and crucially, more than one species ahead (I hope) of yer man at Galley.</p>Basil Faultyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918442424570574378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-40838546063517167942023-12-15T14:02:00.003+00:002023-12-15T14:02:17.561+00:00Not done yet<p>Yes indeedy - just as a certain Mr Faulty was languishing on his laurels, settling comfortably into 2nd place on the podium, and indeed repeatedly trying out the "Best of the Irish" moniker, I managed to strike back this very am with a fine <b>long-tailed duck</b> just off the beach - excellent! I probably manage to see one of these on patch every 2 or 3 years, and they do sometimes hang out on the lake over winter. Regardless if this one hangs about, it was there today and that was the main thing! </p><p>Actually, I just took a look at my patch stats spreadsheet, and it has revealed that said species is actually much rarer then I realised, with only three previous records; 2013, 2016 and 2020. So only my 4th record for the patch! Bingo Bango! Just need one more to put me back into second now....</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-39686639081946211372023-12-11T16:03:00.005+00:002023-12-11T16:18:54.970+00:00The battle for second hots up...So, we're into last gasp duck, gull and wader territory. Yippeeee... all my favourites!<div><br /></div><div>It's been a while since I last updated the blog... although I've been keeping the score comparatively current. I actually started several posts (thanks to Seppy's incessant nagging), only to find that I really couldn't be arsed and sacking it off after the first paragraph. Ah well... this little roundup will have to suffice.</div><div><br /></div><div>After an autumn that didn't really happen (no decent migrants -- with the exception of Lesser Whitey -- oh, and Cliff Swallow... did I mention I found a Cliff Swallow?), I was away in Africa for pretty much all of November, so had no additions to the year list at all last month.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once back, I hit the patch with the renewed optimism only absence and being overtaken by Seppy can muster. Naturally, said enthusiasm didn't take long to wane... but I did manage to score Dabchick for the year, and jam a tasty female Scaup to boot, lifting my tally to 102.42% and, critically, taking me back past Seppy into second place on the podium.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9SP5Z8sven5CJBJbqqXT2GXYgFLOoiITYESzbPPIEJVau-X1eMKa8XHqWrU_CNtSmWa1Fh-6fhOXk8x-Nz4dhb7n77rgrOmblu7ihZ_0BwFRE3xGv_gqNLEGTzN5IZJI7gA7EY-C5LfGWCiF1u4hFwSRCrRtMCgZgDGTHzmBirAvYHTfSOjAGZTf4dro" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1731" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9SP5Z8sven5CJBJbqqXT2GXYgFLOoiITYESzbPPIEJVau-X1eMKa8XHqWrU_CNtSmWa1Fh-6fhOXk8x-Nz4dhb7n77rgrOmblu7ihZ_0BwFRE3xGv_gqNLEGTzN5IZJI7gA7EY-C5LfGWCiF1u4hFwSRCrRtMCgZgDGTHzmBirAvYHTfSOjAGZTf4dro" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cracking female Scaup -- joined today by a bonus Ring-necked Duck (not a year tick alas)</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>I might add one or two more before calling it quits (I still need Perg for the year, FFS)... but reckon it's pretty much a battle for second place now. Bushveld has the top spot sewn up (or should that be stitched up🤔) with his 110% effort.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still... top Irish patch would do... along with what must be a higher than average chance of bagging New Ol' Snowy, thanks to the aforementioned Swallow.</div>Basil Faultyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918442424570574378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-32372693107252220532023-11-27T14:50:00.003+00:002023-11-27T15:32:41.636+00:00Full Fat Patch Gank<p>In what is simply amazeballs news, Saturday saw five Whopper Schwanns grace Wanstead airspace for about 45 seconds. Conclusive photographic evidence was of course obtained, and if you zoom in 10000x and squint you can easily see that these can't possibly be anything else. Not only is this a patch first for Derek (that's me), it is also a patch first for the patch - Whopper Schwann has NEVER been recorded here. We have records of Bewick's from the 1930s and 40s, but never this slightly bigger (and much gankier) Schwann. With this kind of cachet it is hard to see how this could fail to win the coveted, ahem, Black Scoter, but as the other contender is from Fifa HQ I expect <strike>underhand voting, bribery and various other forms of corruption,</strike> sorry I mean 'fair play' will probably be the deciding factor.</p>Jonathan Lethbridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12791327377479687655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-68495372129213482632023-10-25T20:45:00.004+01:002023-10-25T20:46:25.432+01:00Full fat patch action<p> Yes indeedy, while the regular autumn migrants have all but dried up at Galley (no ybw, no lesser whitey, no firecrest etc), there's still been a bit of score-age going on. Just as well really, given the hours I've been putting in!</p><p>Imagine my surprise when I saw a goose coming off the flooded carrot field last Thursday! Although it was flying into the sun, after a few terrifying moments when I thought I wasn't going to be able to ID it, it did the daycent thing and banked round back west, allowing me to clock the dark head and pinky bit on the bill - <b>pink-footed goose</b> ya bas! A true patch gold ingot, and even better, ganky enough to almost certainly secure me the Black Scoter - the trophy for best full fat patch gank ticked in a year!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTvkb_-nHpuiwSaPqaEptttUFWev1Z-PGLYuuNWwEvBQXhBh43c6o4YmP0A98XOoTj843jD2-W8PZxUo-zs6onD8ghAKRUgZZ-XugMxJAbLP2wC9vp1_U64NVoi2KlzkW6UajUToTKktJRusffqDkyF-rOnMthyphenhyphen2GmJxZC5g1f_xZ7vWxMunNtJFeFg/s2462/pf%20goose.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="2462" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTvkb_-nHpuiwSaPqaEptttUFWev1Z-PGLYuuNWwEvBQXhBh43c6o4YmP0A98XOoTj843jD2-W8PZxUo-zs6onD8ghAKRUgZZ-XugMxJAbLP2wC9vp1_U64NVoi2KlzkW6UajUToTKktJRusffqDkyF-rOnMthyphenhyphen2GmJxZC5g1f_xZ7vWxMunNtJFeFg/w400-h223/pf%20goose.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A pink-footed goose yesterday</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a celebratory slap-up lunch, I was back out in the field that very afternoon, whereupon I flushed a fine <b>yellow wagtail</b>, which are considerably less than annual around here. In addition, over the next coupla of days I added <b>long-tailed tits</b>, <b>lapwing</b> and a fine <b>short-eared owl</b>. Even better was the phone call two evenings ago, telling me there was a <b>glossy ibis </b>on the way from Red Strand. I rushed outside avec bins, and sure enough, five minutes later there it was, flopping slowly west, safely onto my patch year list! Finally for now, a cracking male <b>ring ouzel</b> was kind enough to materialise right in front of me on this mornings dog walk. Which was nice. So, the upshot of all this is that I've cracked the near mythical 140 species barrier for only the 5th time in 20 years, but the second consecutive year. Plus only another 10 species required to beat my best ever total of 149! And plenty species still to get! Don't rest easy just yet Mr Bushveld!</p><p> </p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-41744365514592304842023-10-23T20:37:00.005+01:002023-10-25T20:54:52.516+01:00Filling in the gaps<p> I'm getting nothing but grief from Seppy to update the blog; it's not even the end of the month. Luckily though things have been moving along just quite nicely this month. The best of the more recent birds was fine drake <b>green-winged teal </b>enjoying the fine ambience to be found in the waters of the Notsogreatpool. A full fat patch tick and the second yank of the month... so to speak.</p><p>Bagging both long-eared and barn owls the other night were both much appreciated. A seawatch squeezed in a Pom and the fairly typical October migrants of blackcap. brambling and woodcock all keep the tally going in the right direction. </p><p>South-easterlies for the rest of the week could produce something and there's still a few gaps to be filled.</p><p>A total of 132 species is, by quite a way, the highest ever yearly total for the patch and puts me on 109.70%</p><p>Happy days</p><p>Bushveld</p><p><br /></p>Cotehillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374400643398235801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-9497546367476010442023-10-09T10:32:00.001+01:002023-10-09T10:42:31.370+01:00Better than average<p> After the fun and games of August, September was a quiet affair with just the four patch ticks, the best of the limited bunch being long-tailed skua. Fortunately October has perked the patch up a bit, with the very best being a fine <b>Semi P Sand</b> on the Notsogreatpool. Unfortunately it didn't find the pool to its liking and departed south with a dunlin not too long after being found. However, a full fat patch tick and the first Yank for the patch, that and the first jack snipe of the autumn got me to within a smidgen below the magical 100%.</p><p>Luckily a sniff of south-easterlies this weekend brought in a few birds, including two lovely little grebes (only second patch record) and some brambling. </p><p>Pushing me on to 123 species for the year and tipping me over the better than average and onto 102.2%. </p><p>Still time and species to get.</p><p>Happy days</p><p>Bushveld </p><p><br /></p>Cotehillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374400643398235801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-30254733427472492712023-09-11T16:48:00.001+01:002023-09-11T16:48:23.757+01:00Galley's Marshy Bits<p> Yes indeedy, it's been another red-hot early September period on Galley, with a fair bit of quality birding. Things began with the south-easterlies last week which brought in a few <b>pied flycatchers</b>, <b>spotted flycatchers</b>, <b>whinchats </b> and best of all, a cracking <b>wryneck</b>, which was nice.</p><p>As the SE winds continued into the weekend new birds were pretty thin on the ground, but it always felt like there was something lingering somewhere. And sure enough, a last ditch wander down Dirk late on Saturday afternoon produced a belter in the form of a <b>marsh warbler</b> in the fuschia bank. I'd been watching the two large sycamores which were still in the sun, hoping for an icky or the like, when I heard something rustling about close by in the fuschia. A gentle pish and it dropped down to eye level - a gorgeous olivey-green acro with straw-coloured legs! Sadly, it didn't hang around in view long enough for a photo (might have been too close to focus anyway) but a cracker none the less. 19 years to the month since my last one on Galley, so worth a quick reminder of that bird....</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhz8ZebAJLLLDRejQq-KQImbtNvtqiFJMTBWHAW4DQYxaO3voni6Qi_VZ8dJpVu3-DTBxDBRe2ioGwUdHjDGzz4bfgRj87B6WVag2jb_5wwcOAPU-J1I0D_GeqPk96yMyawScy3_RRvHCvJAT2KPGWI7ttS76eFNYHkYtpkUde0o_PrDO3QAiv5IxjA/s1136/marsh%2004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1136" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhz8ZebAJLLLDRejQq-KQImbtNvtqiFJMTBWHAW4DQYxaO3voni6Qi_VZ8dJpVu3-DTBxDBRe2ioGwUdHjDGzz4bfgRj87B6WVag2jb_5wwcOAPU-J1I0D_GeqPk96yMyawScy3_RRvHCvJAT2KPGWI7ttS76eFNYHkYtpkUde0o_PrDO3QAiv5IxjA/w400-h300/marsh%2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A marsh warbler 19 years ago (photo: M O'Keefe)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As if that wasn't enough excitement, I was on my homeward stumble yesterday lunchtime when I came across a huge flock of starlings at Shite Lane. Imagine my surprise when one of them turned out to be a juvenile <b>rosy starling</b>! Managed to get scope views before we lost the bird and it hasn't been seen since. Great to finally get one ON patch, rather than having to count that dubious off-patch pinkish blob at red strand that could have been anything!</p><p>And then to top it all off, I scored 11 (count 'em) <b>brent geese</b> this very pm! All to play for!</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-37775617995316516392023-08-29T12:28:00.009+01:002023-08-29T12:35:20.088+01:00Royzah's Return<p> Finally, after much hounding, Royzah (for it is he) has calculated his 2023 patch percentage to date. Sadly its ahead of mine, so that plan backfired somewhat, but thats showbusiness! The dead tap-dancing maestro has been giving it 110% on patch of late, and has had some rewards, in the form of <b> spotted flycatcher</b>, <b>pied flycatcher</b>, <b>garden warbler</b>, <b>ruff</b>, and <b>golden plover</b>, and to top the lot a fine <b>barred warbler</b>, which turned out to be his 80th one ever (but then again he is ancient).</p><p>A visiting poaching bam twitching his barred then slipped a wryneck past him, but that happens to the best of us, specifically me the other day when Old Spoons did exactly the same.</p><p>So all the scores in order then, and I think for once even Basil doesn't have any undeclared stuff hidden away.</p><p>All to play for as the autumn gets underway...</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-59432771594932433922023-08-22T10:21:00.000+01:002023-08-22T10:21:15.483+01:00Wader bonanza on the Notsogreat Pool<p>It's been a while. As is usually the case June and July were quiet affairs with just the four patch ticks in June and two in July. With returning waders: common sand, greenshank, dunlin and ringo making up the bulk of the total.</p><p>The Notsogreatpool is a large, shallow pool in the middle of an ungrazed field. The water levels fluctuate and typically in July and August it is little more than a patch of dried mud. Unfortunately, over the years, the pool has lived up to its name and is typically shite and under performs compared to other puddles. However, with water levels looking perfect the pool is exceeding itself over the last couple of days, with nine species of wader on it including <b>three full fat patch ticks</b>: curlew sand, little stint and LRP. "Almost Patch Gank" according to Seppy but a reflection on how poor the Notsogreat Pool usually is and how good it could be. </p><p>In addition to these three gems, a couple of adult knot today were only the second record and my first ever autumnal wood sands made up for missing them in May (a definite bonus).</p><p>On top of that, a cracking 1st wr Red-backed shrike on Saturday has pushed my total along nicely and shuffles me up to the top of the leader board.</p><p>111 species - 92.27%</p><p>Happy days</p><p><br /></p><p>Bushveld</p>Cotehillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374400643398235801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-76095899061459261682023-08-01T10:56:00.000+01:002023-08-01T10:56:01.422+01:00Legless on patch...<p>Breaking news that some poaching b*****d had found a Lesser Yellowlegs down at Squince lagoon earlier in the week had me scrambling to the patch to verify said bird.</p><p>Alas, turns out there was nothing but redshank and greenshank in attendance. I checked again the following morning, with similarly unproductive results. </p><p>As luck would have it I bumped into the finder -- who told me exactly where he'd seen the bird -- through "his old binoculars", mind you. Checking said location, there was indeed a lone wader foraging along the small patch of muddy shoreline exactly where he'd had his yellowlegs. Scope views confirmed it was a juv redshank, in spite of every effort to string it into the aforementioned 'legs. </p><p>After yet another scan through the local redshanks I decided enough was enough (there's only so much shank action one can take of a morning, in all fairness) and assigned the yellowlegs to what Seppy likes to call the "One lucky observer" category of finds.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA72p9bYNeJJNImyNXrnnGAC3M8b_W5wnZePMJ10Wi6lGino_khwddG23wlsWG09x1w0W_n92DMIqqykZPLcb0gVI6sYXiAUDwaO9uzA6S32W_Mq8cJVDyEVzd7dbv_OpRI8vOfoEUuvy2_ZoaudqjZVGuW1W0vm8i4zGowdEL0upqyT4C6IGtIkV8JYI" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA72p9bYNeJJNImyNXrnnGAC3M8b_W5wnZePMJ10Wi6lGino_khwddG23wlsWG09x1w0W_n92DMIqqykZPLcb0gVI6sYXiAUDwaO9uzA6S32W_Mq8cJVDyEVzd7dbv_OpRI8vOfoEUuvy2_ZoaudqjZVGuW1W0vm8i4zGowdEL0upqyT4C6IGtIkV8JYI" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>With no yellowlegs in attendance, here's a stock photo of a redshank off the internet for ya, as I couldn't really be arsed looking for one of my own.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Not wanting to leave the patch empty handed, I grudgingly embarked on a short seawatch -- my second in as many weeks, no less -- which yielded Great Shear to add to the Cory's, Storm Petrel and something else tickable I can't quite recall now from last week.</p><p>All of which compensatory tickage trundles the score along to a healthy 85.48%. Happy daze!</p>Basil Faultyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918442424570574378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-4377609629497953162023-08-01T09:26:00.006+01:002023-08-01T09:33:52.028+01:00Cory's Bonanza<p> Yes indeedy, the seawatching has been rather good so far this autumn, and I have caught up with veritable truckloads of <b>cory's shearwaters</b> past Galley, along with smaller number of <b>great shearwaters</b>, an epic <b>wilson's petrel</b>, just the one <b>balearic shearwater</b>, a couple of <b>sabine's gulls</b>, three <b>arctic terns</b>, two <b>tysties</b> (scream for me Stevie G) and a rather brief (for me) <b>fea's-type petrel</b>. </p><p>All this puts me up to pole position too, until Basil remembers some gank that he hasn't year-ticked, or actually goes out and does a proper seawatch himself....</p><p>There's not a whole lot left to get on the year-listing front as far as seabirds are concerned, but that won't stop me having another crack if the wind goes south-west again over the next few weeks...</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-32592916712503483692023-07-18T18:11:00.011+01:002023-07-18T18:18:23.801+01:00Patch Gold Once Again<p>After weeks of the summer doldrums, I finally thought that I should have a quick scope of the lake this pm, just in case. Imagine my surprise when I saw a tern with an all dark cap sitting on the "beach" with a couple of gulls...</p><p>A quick relocation, plus the addition of my glasses from the house and I was back trying to get more on the tern when a <b>coot </b>flew into view and started swimming about - top bobbins year tickage right there! OK they are pretty much annual these days but still.</p><p>Back to the tern, but wait, whats that wader approaching the tern? Why its a <b>redshank</b>, which is another year tick, but probably mostly because I'd omitted to tick it back in the winter.</p><p>Back to the tern - all dark bill with no yellow tip, no shaggy crest, longish looking dark legs - hmmm, I'm going to need a closer look at this...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Dwgs5Mhz3n-gzJIBO200xFLjsUlKMGchQRCgbKfIUFfgRhxosZ_E3QXzbAOpsCLJciBx6wco7mmdxK_Cu2vcP0hbOaxiEtM2gvvyDBpGojXaOnEUQEjFHWZrAKsDh8Ppde0pNpLSIMXZ61WdJMuBLgb7WJqTnXP2RZgOkpD3Pv1krNU3KLesIjWNQg/s1292/20230718_175300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="1292" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Dwgs5Mhz3n-gzJIBO200xFLjsUlKMGchQRCgbKfIUFfgRhxosZ_E3QXzbAOpsCLJciBx6wco7mmdxK_Cu2vcP0hbOaxiEtM2gvvyDBpGojXaOnEUQEjFHWZrAKsDh8Ppde0pNpLSIMXZ61WdJMuBLgb7WJqTnXP2RZgOkpD3Pv1krNU3KLesIjWNQg/w400-h344/20230718_175300.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gull-billed Tern, Kilkeran Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgq9k2WnpMJb6bkG_iGj1F_NfLwtsk2Igt9MMZwmMyPiotC6bQZcl38uMldyAs3ihEdn8tuTbxhhtvKXRVl5Kux8Ar1cijhmywNxkzRC3UTdb9S0hu2cXvcdygrQ5yTS7v7Zhr0jzFO8oMNVaBjgjl4XEcQ0ukzer9wbJ0ZCQXBJvz_rhRdVaPMu8zA/s1009/20230718_174536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="860" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgq9k2WnpMJb6bkG_iGj1F_NfLwtsk2Igt9MMZwmMyPiotC6bQZcl38uMldyAs3ihEdn8tuTbxhhtvKXRVl5Kux8Ar1cijhmywNxkzRC3UTdb9S0hu2cXvcdygrQ5yTS7v7Zhr0jzFO8oMNVaBjgjl4XEcQ0ukzer9wbJ0ZCQXBJvz_rhRdVaPMu8zA/w341-h400/20230718_174536.jpg" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wahay!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Amayzing! Full fat patch tickage - just like that! Another large slice of luck cashed in! Coot <i>and </i>Redshank! Ooooooof!</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-78072777702222659912023-06-15T16:19:00.002+01:002023-06-15T16:19:31.341+01:00Bully's Special Prize<p> Yes indeedy, it was as if Jim Bowen himself had knocked on the door to tell me a cracking male <b>bullfinch</b> was in the apple tree calling away! I could scarcely believe me ears, but luckily went to check what was calling like a bullfinch, only to see it mere metres away! Unbelievable! Certainly haven't had bullfinch in summer before - we got the odd autumnal one every few years so great to jam in on one today!</p><p><br /></p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-24564286956671313642023-06-06T12:28:00.000+01:002023-06-06T12:28:06.465+01:00Okay May<p> A nice spell of easterlies at the beginning of the month brought in a fine selection of migrants including: garden warbler, lesser whitethroat, pied fly and a redstart. No rares but quality patch birds and the first time since 2014 that all four of these have occurred in the same year.</p><p>Garganey are always a bonus bird on patch and a nice drake on the 17th made it three years on the trot this species has turned up on the Not So Great Pool. However Bird of the Month must go to the only full fat patch of the year so far with a finely plumed LITTLE EGRET appearing briefly on the Not So Great Pool on 12 May.</p><p>A total of 17 patch ticks this month contributing to 13% of the annual total is pretty much average. Finishing the month on 94 species and 78.14%.</p><p>June should quieten things down with an average of just 2 patch ticks this month... but who knows.</p><p>Happy days</p><p>Bushveld</p><p> </p>Cotehillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374400643398235801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-41994884612733992302023-05-23T09:04:00.006+01:002023-05-23T09:04:34.532+01:00Done till the autumn<p> Yes indeedy - cashed in <b>reed warbler</b> this am - now breeding on patch and audible from me patio. Result! Also, a fine, flyover, calling <b>ringed plover </b>from my desk as well. </p><p>So now on 96 sp (69.23%) but that's probly me done till the start of July when the seawatching kicks off....</p>seppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109126431048614816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409246846714135623.post-22002818024514640072023-05-14T20:21:00.002+01:002023-05-14T22:53:47.549+01:00Of (un)known origin<p> The appearance of four un-ringed bar-headed geese on patch this week caused a flutter.</p><p>Could they be wild?</p><p>Luckily Seppy stepped in. Demonstrating his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things avian he provided incontrovertible proof that these four rather handsome wildfowl had indeed originated from far flung eastern lands. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwbrymAb0mtKxz8Q5JwtYQ0QzscLoDncj0K-B39-sVVEP6z0AbAaAQe_Rua7ipZCXr5VTf2VW_zjbiTavhof4s-5tFpos5CWsT3aba_60zedAqlHTTGrI9Zq00wkJoj1AfRMTpwu2Av-vYMSoe1FYP07ReIuqVVfcqGFfk9PsXC6lPZ_Xzn_XIk6gAg/s865/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-12%20at%2008.19.46%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwbrymAb0mtKxz8Q5JwtYQ0QzscLoDncj0K-B39-sVVEP6z0AbAaAQe_Rua7ipZCXr5VTf2VW_zjbiTavhof4s-5tFpos5CWsT3aba_60zedAqlHTTGrI9Zq00wkJoj1AfRMTpwu2Av-vYMSoe1FYP07ReIuqVVfcqGFfk9PsXC6lPZ_Xzn_XIk6gAg/w333-h400/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-12%20at%2008.19.46%20(1).jpeg" width="333" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>If proof were needed their arrival coincides with the recent arrival of an un-ringed grey-headed lapwing along the east coast (and briefly the Moray coast), along with an un-ringed drake Baikal teal (associating in a wild sort of fashion with mallard on the Macduff swimming pool) and a fine yellow billed kite down south somewhere. </p><p>All got to be wild.... aren't they.</p><p>Below are the results of the extensive scientific study undertaken by Lord Seppy</p><p>Grey-headed lapwing (top) v bar-headed goose (bottom). Showing extensive range overlap. One is a high altitudinal long-distant migrant the other migrates a bit, mainly around paddyfields.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GP6rKBD4CiFi1uwovN_K7NiJGSWde03Y1HUvce_XvJ9AtI-QvfJuWQQpXzLBS_8ryKBUHBE-whXfC0kh5vwPBiGpQFzEo9CnmMqxZgmLjx3h8wrkBi_xZAx-y10SjiGSg7ENeBzaXaUYGBvBcdYg6PFVtVgxDglsYZlpHhhDOYpFKAUal-AliS00dQ/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-12%20at%2008.28.14%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GP6rKBD4CiFi1uwovN_K7NiJGSWde03Y1HUvce_XvJ9AtI-QvfJuWQQpXzLBS_8ryKBUHBE-whXfC0kh5vwPBiGpQFzEo9CnmMqxZgmLjx3h8wrkBi_xZAx-y10SjiGSg7ENeBzaXaUYGBvBcdYg6PFVtVgxDglsYZlpHhhDOYpFKAUal-AliS00dQ/w312-h640/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-12%20at%2008.28.14%20(1).jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L__uW6_e7kSDQto0oz45IL0CsA07cNLiBlKxHPZhnS2n8-AtYGb3ewYLAtIkir6LUKU8W-zFs0wuCcdWa7trLsjcyH32kpfvmQqxKWylcEoIE_1fkvacjgbThGUFdn-qywvx4Ie9TFlLyLDLVqdrwf1edsbbeUOfq3OuhkNGD_g4lLa2lHv8E7tWbA/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-12%20at%2008.28.01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L__uW6_e7kSDQto0oz45IL0CsA07cNLiBlKxHPZhnS2n8-AtYGb3ewYLAtIkir6LUKU8W-zFs0wuCcdWa7trLsjcyH32kpfvmQqxKWylcEoIE_1fkvacjgbThGUFdn-qywvx4Ie9TFlLyLDLVqdrwf1edsbbeUOfq3OuhkNGD_g4lLa2lHv8E7tWbA/w312-h640/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-12%20at%2008.28.01.jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><br /><p>Case closed ma Lord.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cotehillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374400643398235801noreply@blogger.com1