Long time no update

It has been a while, all too long indeed, since we updated you. Winter has gone and spring has come to our patch, and the birds reflect this. A brief summary of goings on: second and third cormorant record for the patch, fly over whooper swans, a stonking count of eight ring ouzels at the beginning of April together with curlew and wheatear, and willow warblers returned in force last weekend. All settled now, with whitethroat and swift about the only summer migrant to return. All this bring us to a rather incredible 76 species, or 94.21%.

Mid-April Musings

 Indeed and we are nearly halfway through the spring already! And its been pretty quiet at Galley - a trickle of the usual, expected summer migrants but little in the way of anything more exotic.

I've managed to claw me way up to 88 species or 67.69%, which is bang average to be honest. Still a long way to go....

A wheatear, yesterday

Marching on

 A belated update for March.

eight patch ticks for the month the best being the previously mentioned long-eared owl.

Instead of birding I've been playing around with the spreadsheet to see what make believe stats I can come up with, to encourage me to keep going...

The good news is that eight patch ticks in March is my highest ever March total! contributing a whopping 7% of my annual total.  Which is considerably better than the five year average which is only 2% of my final total.  So things are looking good.

The bad news is that in April I get, on average, 15 patch ticks and so far this year I have none...

Time to either give up or get out more...

Happy days 

Bushveld

 

Spring has sprung (with added snow)

After my last post resulted in gross slanderous accusations from old eight eyes (Remember the dotterel, eh? What have you ever found for me on my patch?) I am pleased to say that the trickle of species has continued meaning I am happily crapping on the Boghall total, long may this continue.  

Summer migs have started to appear, chiffchaff, sand martin, willow warbler and blackcap so far along with loads of passing meadow pipits. Nothing outstanding yet and redshank still the only patch tick this year. Doesn't really matter as long as we stay ahead of the Midlothian muck raker.