Who says Penguins can't fly?

This one was maintaining a good height over the patch a few days back.

Alas, it was trailing has what appears to be jessies so must be regarded as of dubious origin. Is anyone up on Penguin ID? If I know the species, I can phone around the zoos to see who might be missing it.

A few things have made it on the list, though. A Redstart came in the the dreg end of the mid-September migrant arrival.

And then a 4 year-tick day on Friday - with, first, Coal Tit as an overdue addition. Then duck bonanza - Scaup, Shoveler and Goosander.

 So, now on 113 species (=89.45%). And full-time birding, unencumbered by the limitations of working for a living, starting in just a few days.

Statto

Gargantuan effort needed

Totted up the figures and leapfrogged back into second. 2 x Y-bW, Spott Fly and Blackcap all onto the list this week but not such a haul as some places up and down the coast.

Anyway, with a clear lead over the chasing pack, and Basil out of action for the rest of the autumn, perhaps this is my best ever chance to go for glory. I need to throw absolutely everything at it. To make the ultimate sacrifice. Total commitment. So I'm leaving my job in just over a week to devote myself 100% to the task in hand....

Statto

wader day!

Maasseeeeeeeeeeve flock of waders on Long Strand this am, mostly dunlin and sanderling, the latter of which was a year tick! Also gleaned a fine (and tricky to get) bar-tailed godwit for the year, plus 2 knot, 3 turnstones, 6 ringos and a curlew! Kwality!

chat amongst yourselves

Whinchat! Count 'em! Two!

unsound approach

Had a flyover little stint er, fly over the gaff the other day. Calling away it was, which when I checked the old campo rojo website confirmed it, innit. Garden tick no less (From the house list now 144), and only my 2nd on/from patch, although I'm not sure I really saw the first one from the patch - may have been off it. Lost in the mists of time in 2006  - its declared here anyway. Up into 3rd place too! Crazy scenes!

Away with the fairies

Well, I haven't checked in here for a while. Being some 17,000 KM off-patch puts a bit of a kibosh on the notion of a patch challenge. Some decent birds here in Oz though... and more to come in SE Asia, no doubt.

Noticed I forgot to add the juv LEO calling out by the lake the day before I left... so on 98.42%... and that's where I'll stay until early December.

Luckily autumn is normally pretty shit on patch... so I probably won't miss much while I'm away, and there's always the chance of a few winter ticks when I get back to keep things interesting.

Enjoy autumn!