September still just around the corner...

 Yes indeedy, before we can even get to September, there's been some more good stuff turning up at Galley. First off, Old Spoons banged into a hippo briefly down Dirk on Thursday, but we weren't able to get a decent look at it till Friday, at which point it was ID'd as a melodious warbler

A melodious warbler, on Friday

And then this morning, while still half asleep, I was gawking at the lake, when I noticed a nice juvenile black tern flying about - only my 3rd evah on patch, and my first since October 2013!

A black tern, er, today

So there we have it. A check of the totaliser and prediction win-dicator for the rest of the year shows me needing just 21 more species to break the by now almost mythical 150 species barrier - I'd best get back out there!

1/9 am update: 4 (count 'em!) stock doves from the majik patio (tm) - all to play for!

September just round the corner!

 Yes indeedy - the autumn fun is just about to start! Seawatching thus far has been a pretty lame affair, with only a handful of the larger shears and little else of note, including decent winds! However, 11 (count 'em!) wigeon on the lake this morning, and an unprecedented five coot was indicative of some movement, plus small waders have been belting over in small numbers for the last couple of days - things is picking up at last!

Evening update: Fast forward to late afternoon when a very heavy spell of rain seemed to land some migs on Galley. I found two pied flycatchers and a nice imm male redstart, while old spoons found another redstart and a tree pipit, which I was able to validate. Which was nice! Hopefully get a few more bits tomorrow...

Hoopoe Hoax

 Feels like a race for second place this year (and it is not going to compete for Old Snowy) but a Hoopoe on patch this morning was very welcome. Crap phone pic attached (typical to be the day to forget the camera).