Easterlies...

Just managed to get the seven patch ticks yesterday.

A couple of bluetroats were a full patch tick and a nice honey buzzard was a second for the patch.  The others were spot fly, redstart, common sand, whimbrel, black-wit.  Having added a few other odds and sods during the last week or so, my total of 91 species and 85.85% puts me comfortably in poll position.

Happy days.

Bushveld.

Bushveld by a nose!

Yes indeedy - after several years of claiming that his Longhaven patch was rubbish and that there are never any birds, Bushveld turned things around this time, and while everyone else was floundering in his wake, he continued firing in year tick after year tick.

There will probably have to be an enquiry.

However, in the meantime, here is the final 2018 scoreboard, for posterity....

some scores, yesterday

So thats it for 2018 - presume everyone will be back in action for 2019 and blogging updates imminently....

Putting Bushveld back in his box

Far be it from me to be getting boastful, (particularly this spring!), but even without much in the way of migrants I've managed to get back ahead of Bushveld!

Yes indeedy, even this weekend with very limited free time on patch I managed to glean swift, siskin, mistle thrush and a fine brace of tysties! All very welcome I'm sure you'll agree.

All this excitement keeps me firmly ahead of Bushveld, although my spring is winding down while his is probably only just getting going. Lets hope for a nice run of westerlies for the next few weeks ooop north hey?

To finish, a wee snap of the showy grasshopper warbler that has been frequenting the field by shite lane crossroads all week. Not as close or obliging today as the other night when I didn't have my camera, obvs!

A gropper yesterday

Happy days

Seppy