a trickle of migs

Despite the freezing winds, I was out giving it loads today, and was duly rewarded with not one but two (count 'em) singing chiffchaffs innit. Out again late pm after a big shower went through and discovered 7 (count 'em) wheatears had been grounded - hoping for a rouzel tomorrow!

Spring into spring with a song!

Out for a routine walk around the patch this morning when all of a sudden from a nearby hedgerow came the "chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chiff" of... you guessed it... a chiffchaff. First of the year -- clocking up 72.33%.

Migs at Longhaven!

Full of hope and excited anticipation, I visited the patch this morning.  Dreaming of G.S. Cuckoos, early Alpine swifts or the regions first serin.  It was all going to be there in this yet undiscovered gem in N.E. Scotland.

Nor was I disappointed with two fine migrant song thrush in the coastal gorse bushes.  Awesome.

So that's nearly six whole weeks of working the new patch.  Patch ticks every time.   Although not quite living up to expectation the best patch bird being short-eared owl (which have been few and far between this winter, with none at Cotehill).  So a good bird for the year and plenty more to come.

Scores on the doors:  49 species, 37.69%.

Happy days

Bushveld

Early gold for the patch... but no spring migs

All very slow on patch lately... but a fly-by flock of eight (count em) golden plover last week was a welcome addition to the 2014 list, and takes me up over the 70% mark (71.15% to be exact), so all good.

But, seems Seppy is already bleating about the arrival of wheatears at Galley Head he'll be racking up the scores and creeping up the leaderboard -- as will all the rest of you high-mig locale patchers.

No sign of spring migs up here. In fact I still have winter migs, in the shape of fieldfare and redwing flocks, dashing about the patch. Consolation there is that Seppy still needs both for the year -- every cloud, and all that.

Wheatear!

Yippee! Its migtime! First ear of the year fell this arvo - and here he is!

'ear we go!

Also gleaned common scoter over da weekend - moving on.

This fella was also beginning his long migration north this weekend. Where will he end up next year?

Off to Reg with ya!

breaking news - Shakey in chinese pond heroin addiction shocker

It has come to our attention that a certain Mr S Stevens from Kent has become addicted to Chinese Pond Heroin. Almost every morning he can be spotted hanging around a dodgy housing estate frequented by shady characters in cars all trying to score the Pond Heroin. There are often arguments about whether Indian or Chinese Pond Heroin is better, but all seem to be agreed that Squacco Heroin is shite.

In a lame attempt to fund his "hobby" as he calls it, he has taken to trying to sell dodgy heroin images from the internet, thusly

Exhibit A - some pond heroin yesterday

Exhibit B - would you pay 5 pounds for this heroin?

Our intrepid reporter can now reveal that Mr Stevens has even had the audacity to actually tick this Pond Heroin, claiming arrogantly that "Yep, its on my list. Haven't seen any evidence of it being an escape", "Martin says its OK" and also "I ain't spending 10 years in the chokey for anyone" BLAM!!!!

The only silver lining for this cloudy tale is that it wasn't on his Samphire Hoe patch so he can't be trying to muscle in on the best find for 2014 or anything.