Reg goes Full Fat

 Yes indeedy, normally careful with his dietary intake, it all went out the window this weekend as Reg stuffed his face with a full fat drake surf scoter off Collieston. Exhibit A, thusly...

A surf scoter, yesterday (its the one on the left, Shakey....)

He now only needs four (count 'em) more species to retake the lead ahead of the Proclaimers - still a bit to go then.

Other protaganists appear to have stalled, although Bushveld is promising an update before the end of the month - we await news of his progress with interest....

Feeling chipper

Yes, Boghall strikes back to Reg (eight eyes are better than two) with a fly over crossbill flock at the weekend and a house sparrow in the neighbours garden (a rarity out our way). The rest of the autumn has passed us by despite near daily checking of the near resident gull flock. All this means 81 whole species, or 107.05%

The battle for first place

 Yes indeedy, its going down to the wire this year. News from Reg of "a few new additions" turned out to involve a pomarine skua  and a bullfinch, which is a Collieston mega. As a result, he jumps into first place, at least until the Proclaimers er proclaim their current score. Word is they have had a crossbill over le weekend so may indeed be back in front - we eagerly await an update....

In other exciting news, I finally managed to connect with a/the coal tit down Dirk this very am - only my 10th record evah and my first on patch since 2021. There were of course absolute scenes when it popped up. As Royzah has gone back to being silent about what his score actually is (snow bunting is still undeclared), I am claiming 3rd spot again, but may in fact be in 4th - more news as it happens....

News of the smews

 Yes indeedy its a big battle right now between Big Royzah and Seppy for the last spot on the podium. Both have been adding bits and pieces over the last few days, with Roy netting great crested grebe, and his first smew on the Don since 2011. All thanks to his trusty fluffing sidekick T2006 too. 

In response, after his previously reported successes over le weekend, Seppy has responded with the first whopper schwann of the autumn on his lake this very evening. As if that wasn't enough, he then discovered he'd omitted to year tick hen harrier back in September - majik! 

Its all to play for!

Of course, if Royzah was to clinch third place over the esteemed Mr Blatter, then there might just have to be a steward's enquiry following a recent admission by Royzah that his South Don patch is now pretty much mostly all north of the river these days. How did that happen without anyone official being bribed er I mean consulted? Its bound to have made beneficial results for his recent patch scores shurely? This may all have to be investigated depending on the final tallies and positions....

 *Thurs lunchtime update - common tern and a yellow-browed warbler at Galley this am - enough to jump back onto the podium ahead of Royzah again...

A proof of life shot of the yellow-brow, yesterday

**Thurs eve update - absolute scenes this pm when I flushed only my 4th jack snipe evah out on Galley - great views before it pitched back down again - one in 2007 and two on same day in the 2018 cold snap are my only previous records.

***Fri pm update - Royzah fights back with a wild claim of a snow bunting on the Don, which he duly backed up with a shot that he said was thru his bins but was clearly whipped straight off t'internet...

A snow bunting yesterday

 

Busy weekend of it

 Yes indeedy - its been all go at Galley with a double full-fat patch tick bonanza and several strange species turning up the last few days. 

Friday's excitement was the news that Old Spoons had found a treecreeper down Dirk. Treecreepers are not resident on Galley, and we only know of three previous records, none of which I saw. The bottom of Dirk is full of tall sycamores and is the kind of place that a treecreeper could get lost. A treecreeper heading in there would not be the ideal scenario.

I got down there in minutes and Old Spoons informed me that it had been in the big sycamore on its own, but he'd lost it and he reckoned it was probably in the bottom of Dirk.

Bugger.

However, luck was on my side, as, while slowly scanning the sycamores one by one, I managed to pick it up foraging in some ivy, and got good views as it flitted to the next tree and worked its way up the trunk - absolute scenes! This is what patch birding is all about!

Fast forward to Saturday and I was out early trying to find whatever was about when I noticed a white bird flying in the distance. At first I thought it was a swan, albeit a bit small, but then it turned and I could see it had a big long black beak out the front. Just as it dawned on me that it was a spoonbill, it turned away from me and started heading west, towards Rosscarbery. I tried calling Old Spoons in case he was out and lost the bird altogether. Two full-fat patch ticks in two days - I was on a hat-trick!

Alas, it was not to be, with Sunday failing to produce the full-fat goods. I did glean a wigeon and two lapwings on the lake shore though, and followed them up with a heard-only flyover grey plover today, so not too shabby.

The wind remains firmly in the east for the next few days too...

2025 Golden Mallard Award Ceremony (Brexit edition)

 Yes indeedy, in a touching, emoshunal scene on a far-flung Shetland island, the Golden Mallard was recently officially handed over to Basil Faulty so that it can enjoy the final few months of 2025 shoved in a box under his desk.

Luckily former Leicester Celtic Manager Martin O'Neil was on hand to help out with the prizery-giving...

Basil nearly drops the fookin mallard cos he's too busy lookin at the camera

Basil contemplates his finest achievement in birding to date

There you have it - no doubt the mallard will be heading back to Reg all too soon - lets find out!