Seppy's Last Hurrah!

Must admit I've not really being going for it on da patch since November rolled around. Yet today I managed to bang in 2 year ticks without really trying! A family walk down the beach netted only my 3rd record of purple sandpiper on patch ever, whilst a sunset scope of the fields surrounding the lake produced 8 (count 'em) black-tailed godwits feeding with the curlews.

Sadly, all this action still wasn't enough to move up the leaderboard - all it did was make it harder for next year! Bollox!

Reg checks in

Yes indeedy - Mr Absent finally spills da beanz on the last couple of months of patching - his last bird for the year was a firecrest back in November. So no last hurrah for him then.

Noah Strycker doesn't know what he's missing

A bigger Blackdog year list even than Noah Strycker. But my first year ever with no Blackdog patch ticks has helped me limp to a resounding relegation position. But on the plus side, the target average for next year is lower than each of the previous five years. Roll on 2016...  Meanwhile, a few very minor highlights from the back end of the year to show just how dire it has been.

Statto

Declaring too early

Well I reckon I'm done in Wanstead. Tawny Owl last week in the night (thanks bladder!) and then finally Woodcock yesterday puts me on 103.60%, which makes my piss-poor efforts last year entirely worthwhile. There's literally nothing left, unless Common Tern comes back very early indeed. There has been a lot of maths conducted by our erstwhile President Seppy, which confirms that a bribe of only £20 million that two more species for Basil will be enough to see the Golden Mallard head to the Mall. So have I declared too early? Will Faulty redouble his efforts? Is Shakey holding back a few? We're getting to the crunch point!

#verified

Much as it irks me, recent correspondence with Senor Faulty seems to be indicating that there may indeed have been a wigeon on his patch lately...

A wigeon, yesterday

which is annoying!

Fowl ref!

Wigeon to be exact... one male all on his lonesome on the back end of the lake a couple of weeks back now. I waited before posting this in the vain hope that I might have something else to add... but alas no.

Which puts me on 102.35%... and still, astonishingly, in the lead... waiting for the end-of-year surge from the chasing pack to knock me off the podium.

Other news...? Well, got to hook up with the American Bittern before Seppy. It's always entertaining watching him squirm as he realises he may actually dip. Alas the bittern was still there the following day, giving itself up.

Oh well... you can't win 'em all ;-).

Anywho... cracking bird. Here's a little phone-scoped video... just in case you're not sick of looking at it :-).