All going on at Galley

 Yes indeedy, the autumn has definately begun all right! It was a lovely still morning here so I thought it might be worth a quick punt around Galley. Bit of a bad start when I remembered my wellies were drying in the house rather than resting in the boot of the car but hey, crocs are inappropriate in all weathers right?

I was idly checking some meadow pipits when I happened across a similar sized bird with a bright eye ring and creamy malar stripes, but pretty clean otherwise on the breast, with a pinky red bill - "not a pipit" I mused, before I began to think about ortolan. Before I could take the thought much further the birds booted off and I watched it fly off to a distant phone wire where it landed with a couple of linnets. As I stalking closer in my trusty crocs, it dropped into stubble with more linnets and then the whole flock booted all around, leaving me none the wiser as to where it had gone.

Luckily, it hadn't gone far, and was back up on the phone wires, allowing better views and I could finally be sure it was an ortolan, especially when it began calling like one!

Once Old Spoons had been set in motion, we were able to refind it again and he even got shots

An ortolan bunting earlier

The excitement wasn't over as barely had I reached home but Old Spoons was on the blower babbling about an untagged juvenile white-tailed eagle over his gaff and heading my way. A quick sprint to the Majik Patio (tm) and hey presto - there it was! Huzzah! Reckon its prob OK to tick this wan for the patch hey?

A white-tailed eagle heading my way earlier (pic C. Cronin)

Marvellous!

Big Royzah Goes Seawatching

 They say lightning doesn't strike twice and they should know but at long last we have had some news from Big Royzah (everywan's favourite deceased tap-dancing trumpeteer) (for it is he) and indeed he has even eventually, after weeks of questioning, even released his percentage score as of yesterday.

In addition, he divulged that he had indeed been seawatching and had indeed sekured the following species for his year list:

2 (count 'em) bonxies

2 (count 'em again) arctic skewers

1 manx shearwater

1 long-tailed skewer

After another few prods, he also coughed up his patch percentage to date, which you can see over on the right - just above Shakey's score, who is safely in last place. Nice to see.

So there we have it - more Royzah updates as they happen!

In other news, now that it is finally September, I've been getting in amongst it with the autumn migs at Galley netting a fine tree pipit yesterday (first since 2014) and a whinchat courtesy of old spoons today. Marvellous.

A few more additions

 Yes indeedy, the seawatching has continued to be quite good, although the overall numbers of things other than Cory's has been quite low. However, as always, one is enough for the year list! Since my last update, even Basil has dragged his sorry ass out for a cursory glance at the sea and he even strung gleaned a few year ticks, but I'll leave them for him to declare, when he gets a moment...

So, over the last week or so I have netted a fine brace of grey phalarope, a species which for some reason (most probably apathy) has oft evaded me on patch. In addition, a cracking adult sabine's gull and a common tern while following the sab's, have both been most welcome. Numbers of cory's shearwaters have remained quite high, while great shearwaters have been chugging past but in much lower numbers.

Corys on the left; greats on the right

Up into third place in the league table, although undoubtedly this will not have been updated for ages by the other playas. Looking forward to the mig season getting underway any day now - all to play for!

Seawatching scores

 Yes indeedy, there have finally been some decent south-westerlies, and a result, there have finally been some decent seabirds passing the patch's outer limits! A massive 10.5 hr seawatch on Sunday plus another 6 hrs on Bank Holiday Monday resulted in a minimum of (count 'em!) 1,611 cory's shearwaters, 118 great shearwaters, 3 wilson's petrels (missed another 5 - ouch!), 2 long-tailed skuas, 5 balearic shearwaters, 2 pomarine skuas, 3 arctic skuas and 2 bonxies.

Not a bad couple of days birding! 

a telescope, yesterday

Still behind the goggly-eyed proccies in 5th place on the overall table tho - irksome!

At least it's stopped raining now...

 There goes another June and July, only this time without any sun and very few birds.

June did produce the only full fat patch tick of the year so far, in the form of an avocet on the Notsogreatpool on the 25/6.  This was followed by an Arctic skua cruising along the cliff tops on the 26th.

July delivered mute swan and swift both on the 9th and there's been nothing else since.

With a ten year average of two ticks for June and three of July, this years tally of two for each month is bang on average.

The forecast looks set fair for the beginning of August which could lower the water levels and provide some nice muddy edges for some nice waders; fingers crossed.  And I might look at the sea at some point. But for now the year list sits at 106 species and 86.65% of the total, which nudges me up into silver medal position.

Happy days

Bushveld

Easy singles

 Yes indeedy, its finally time to wave goodbye to the June doldrums and get back in the seawatching saddle for the start of the autumnal festivities! I did glean a few bits in June, namely common sandpaper, puffin and arctic skua, but for the most part its been slow going over the last few weeks.

Fast forward to this morning, and once the rain had eased, and I'd woken meself up with excitement, I headed out for the first proper seawatch of the autumn. And, while there wasn't a whole pile of stuff going through, I did manage to knock in single cory's shearwater, sooty shearwater, balearic shearwater, and bonxie, as well as 3 (count 'em) storm petrels. Which was nice.

Hopefully there'll be a bit more wind and some more big shears for the rest of July...

a May...zing

 May 2024 was quite a month.  A prolonged spell of easterlies brought in a flood of scarce migrants up and down the coast with most fenceposts adorned with a red-backed shrike or two and the bushes stuffed full of warblers.... well almost.

The month started well enough with along with the expected migrants a drake garganey floated around the Notsogreatpool and a cracking hooded crow did adorn a fencepost; only the third for the patch and easily the best one so far.  A wood warbler skulking around the Moat on the 4th May was only the 2nd for the patch.

More patch fillers during the month were supported by some fine patch birds including a green sand and osprey; also both seconds for the patch and a greenfinch was only the third ever for the patch.  The stunning male red-backed shrike was expected this spring and the third year running one has graced the patch.

A total of 20 species in May was the highest May total since records began and put me on a 102 species for the year and 83.38%.  Also the highest ever for this time of year.

Happy Days