Late update

Been away in Aviemore for a week but before I left scored four patch ticks although that morning (Sat 17th) it didn't really happen around the patch despite promising much. Best of the bunch was Reed warbler, only my second on patch with the last one in 2006. 76.48%

Natch, returned home via Strathbeg.
T-2006.

Strathboghall

Same old, same old here in Boghall with nothing new since June. Pinkies are passing over again so scanning them for white 'uns. It got so bad that I had to make a trip north to the Strathbog to get the crane (and jolly nice it was too). Scored a breaching minkie whale too. Not that any of that slows my slide down the table.

Pue, Pue, Barney McGrew

Some pueing siskins over yesterday morning were new for the year, and when I heard some more I looked at them and lo and behold they were pueing snow buntings! Huzzah! First ones here since 2005! Blimey! Dipped the ortolan though, which was therefore clearly bollox!

And then I cracked and went off to Mizen to see the Hudsonian Whimbrel, which was nice.

Migs

Managed to get out on Saturday afternoon but it was hard work around the patch. Fortunately Reg had been out earlier and nailed a few birds to some posts for me...

A fine YBW was quickly followed by a goldcrest and an elusive Barred warbler in the same small plantation was swiftly followed by a blackcap. Four patch birds in the space of a few minutes.

A couple of lapland bunts flying over were much appreciated.

Best bird for the patch were three bar-wits from a seawatch this morning. Could be a patch tick but not sure.

Patch list now stands at 81.38% but a quick 'future look' doesn't bode well with a predicted end of year tally around the 95%.

Spot the Difference

Mute Swan flying past Blackdog on Sunday evening:


KLM logo:


Should've got out Saturday by looks of things but prior commitments kept me from the patch until Sunday evening. No deluge of Garden Warblers here but Mute Swan (not quite annual) flew onto the year list.

The an early visit Monday morning brought altogether better quality with the third Blackdog Greater-pecker record. Unfortunately not a better quality pic, though:



Now on 116 species which is the same total as all of 2009. 93.80% is not quite enough to reclaim 2nd place but I'm biting at Royzah's heels.

Statto

Okay but no rares

The weekend's easterlies brought in a fair number of migs to the patch. Best of the bunch were a reed warbler and two common crossbills which are good patch birds. Also picked up lesser redpoll, lesser whitethroat, grey and golden plover. There were lots of blackcaps, 6 garden warblers, 2 whitethroats, 3 willows, 2 chiffs and a tree pipit. If the weather hadn't been so foul,especially on Sunday morning, I'm sure I could have dug out something else so it was a wee bit frustrating. Still, closing on the shaking fella........... 95.5% and counting. No bankers left, all less than annual now.

Roy da boy

more gank

a fine black-tailed godwit nestled amongst the roosting curlews this pm - quite impressive pick-up given my hungover status. Netted a turtle dove out on galley earlier too, but couldn't tick it, cos i had wan in de spring.

cap'n cash

Flat calm this morning so hot-footed into Dirk for the rare yankee passerine. No such luck but did scor 4 (count 'em) blackcaps in a tree which was in fact a year tick! Huzzah!


And just realised I'd missed common scoter off de year list - huzzah again! Are the prockies with the nockies gettin worried yet?

Virtual breakback

Since ole Seppy has declared his Sabs before I've even reported mine, I claim a virtual breakback. Ha ha that'll teach ye! The Sabine's reminded me of the one me and Seppy found on North Ron because we were basically arsing about at the time and it just flew past us, this time I was walking along the boulevarde with the kids scanning occasionally whilst they were arsing about and it came by close in heading south towards the Ness. That's birding for ya.

Also had a little stint yesterday so rather a good day all in all.

91.24% and the autumn is young.

breakback sab's ya bas!

Hot on the heels of boy roy's sab's off donmouth yesterday, imagine my delight to hear of a lingering juvenile off the Galley! oml ya bas!

Also bagged a turnstone on de beach from de house so that was another year tick - 2 in a day, but i need a lot more if I'm to catch the leaders up front!

You can't have it all

Ten patch ticks since my last update. Mostly gash again but Ruff (as mentioned elsewhere), a fly-by grey plover (Sunday mid-morn) and a flock of 13 pale-bellied brent geese (Sunday mid-afternoon) were most welcome. Unfortunately, missed the two best birds.

Now almost in the top-half of the table. Still lots of gank to see yet though time running out to connect with some of it.

T-2006.

Feelin Ruff

Whay hay! First ruff (two actually, count em) for three years and a whinchat t'other day takes me to 89.84%. Our shiny metal friend T2006 was in on the ruff too, it was in fact his advanced wader finding software wot detected them. Payback for him twitching me garden for blackcap and garden warbler.

Roy da boy

Five alive

After several visits with no patch year ticks, a viz miggin' session this morning came up trumps with five year ticks. Aside the torrents of Mipits and steady flow of Swallows there were several small parties of Siskins (nothing like numbers reported in recent days elsewhere in eastern Scotland), smaller parties of Redpolls and the expected Grey Wagtails. A Peregrine flew south too (not quite annual) and best of the lot was 3 Ruffs (well actually one ruff and two reeves) also heading southbound. Just one previous Ruff record here of a couple of birds in with the Lapwings for a couple of days in 2008.

Clearly other birds on the move too as jumping about for a few minutes in an isolated and, usually unproductive, willow clump next to the count position before moving on were a number of tits (4 Blue, 2 Great and a Coal), 3 Chiffhcaffs and singles of Willow Warbler, Goldcrest and Sedge Warbler.

So the year list leaps ahead to 114, or 92.18% and I leapfrog two places up the table.

Cashing in those missed chips

Nine patch ticks over the weekend - all of them gash (best was Whinchat). Still, it moves me up the leaderboard a little.

T-2006.