I'm still here

 I'm still here ... but I do wonder why

After a pitiful patch in 2025 one would hope for an improvement for '26,  any improvement would be nice.

So now it's mid March, still awaiting the first migrant and no patch birds of note. 

But it's nice to be out and on the scoreboard

Total to date 56 species 45.28%

Happy Days

Bushveld

Red-rumped already!

 Yes indeedy, its not even March yet and the first decent mig of the year has already been bagged! And it involved more than a fair slice of jam too. Rewind to yesterday afternoon, with the dog walk looming. In a last-minute change of mind, I decided against driving to Dirk and trudging down and back again, opting instead for a walk along the road from the house. 

After approximately two minutes of trudging east along the road, I spotted what looked like a swallow flying towards me. "But its February" I thought, raising the bins and getting on it. I could make out red around the nape, and when it banked, there was a pale reddish rump patch. "Jeepers, red-rumped swallow" was something like my next thought. I carried on watching as it made its way slowly westwards, before it dipped down towards the beach and out of sight. Somewhat in a daze, I retraced my steps past the house and down to the beach, then over to Kilkeran Lake, just in case it was hanging around but no further sign.

Full fat jammy twat!

Big Royzah says hello

 Yes indeedy, for there is (some) news that Royzah has made it over the door at least once this year, and he scored well when he did venture out.

A black redstart, yesterday

Only his 3rd evah on patch apparently, which is quite amayzing considering how many years he's been slogging the Don. No further information about any other birds was provided but I'm guessing he's on at least 1% by now.

All to play for....

full fat friday

 Yes indeedy, there were once again absolute scenes on the majik patio (tm) this very afternoon, when moments after clocking that a/the(?) gadwall was back amongst the mallards, two red-breasted mergansers swam into view! Its only taken 23 years to get this long-awaited sawbill onto the patch list! Proof-of-life shot thusly...

two red-breasted mergansers, yesterday

I had to go for a lie-down after all the excitement! First patch tick of the year, but hopefully not the last!

Bangin' them in

 Yes indeedy, just a quick post to highlight recent progress - banged in merlin, peregrine and collared dove over le weekend, and jammed into early migrants or possibly over-wintering whimbrel and chiffchaff today whilst exercising the Hound of Destiny so all good.

No pics from the patch but here's a cheeky shot of the Waterford Spotted Sandpiper that I twitched last week - just happened to be in the area.

A spotted sandpaper yesterday

In other news, I see Shakey is also still bangin' them in on his patch - if this keeps up we'll have to send the boys round to give him the good news....

Year tick tick tuarrr, tick tick tuarr...

 Gank for all of you, but int he past 4 days we have added red legged partridge (hence the awful title for this post), lapwing and a mild and creamy Kormarant to the list (the latter today while in an online meeting that I was paying full attention to obviously). 59.74% (47 species). Off to a flier but it'll all cease up soon enough.

And we are off

 After a big bash on the 1st, we slacked off the patch for a few days knoing that little would happen. Since then we have added a few including a fine woodcock today. Otherwise it's been padders mainly. 6 days in and 45 species, which is 57.2% of the 78.6 species from the previous 3 years.