Reg Reveals All

 Yes indeedy - that got your attention hey? Should get a few more page hits too with any luck. Anyway, suffice it to say Reg has not been resting on any laurels and is still giving it 110% right up to the years end. Its beginning to pay off too as he had little auk and lapland bunting over the weekend, whilst also adding quail to the list after claiming one back in the summer (whatever that really was...).

In a bid to put the frighteners on Basil, he's also claiming that Jack Snipe, Velvet Scoter, LEO, Snow Bunting, Glauc, Iceland gull and slav are all virtually nailed on before the 31st Dec....

All to play for then, as it gets that little bit tighter at the top. Reg needs just four species to catch Basil, while Seppy still requires five, which is probably a stretch at this stage, but ya never know. #Believe

Predictable trickle of resident gank -- with special guests

And so January trundles merrily on. Luckily, Squince is providing a steady trickle of resident gank to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Things started well on New Year's Day, when the lone whopper that had been lingering most of last year (before disappearing just before Christmas), returned with a friend. The coot stayed into the new year too, as did the female shoveler. Score!

Always lovely to see a cracking pair of whoppers on patch!

Other than that it's been the usual suspects all the way... with a couple of notable exceptions.

First up, a fine little auk on Blind Harbour on the 10 January -- only my second ever, and quite the find on patch. Picked it up in flight while scanning for divers... first thought was puffin, but it looked awfully small and dumpy. It splashed down onto the water and good views through the scope clinched the ID. Majik!

Alas my rudimentary dodgyscoping skills weren't up to relocating the bird on the phone screen when attached, so no shots. By the time I'd dismantled the dodgyscoping contraption for another look the bird had disappeared. Anyway, it defo was one... so anyone out there of the mindset "if you don't have shots, you didn't see it" can FRO!

The other exception was a great crested grebe on the sea just off Trá an Oileáin yesterday (while looking for coal tits). A full-fat patch tick -- which is hardly exceptional given this is only my second year doing Squince -- but its also the first one I've seen off this stretch of coastline in the 20+ years I've been here. Happy daze.

All of which pushes me to 62.10%, leapfrogging Shakey to take the top spot... for now.

Game on!

Catching up

Not to be outdone by those in the Norf-east of Scotland who are currently enjoying cripplers on patch, I too have been banging them in at Galley, its just they've all been gank. Still, collared dove was one I missed last year, whilst bankers like spotted flycatcher, gropper, and sarnie tern have also all been bagged.

87 species or 65.58% - gettin there....

Royzah's up into second place!

He's been bangin 'em in like a good 'un the last couple of weeks, with a fine white-billed diver, pom skewer, purple sand, GND, redpoll, siskin and grey partridge all added in the last phew days! Enough to take him well clear of Mr Nimmo who is seemingly marooned in 3rd place, with nothing much left to add.

In other news, I knocked in long-tailed tits yesterday - it doesn't get any better than that!

More action at Galley!

Yes indeedy - the third patch year tick in as many days was gleaned this lunchtime in the form of a fine kingfisher whanging through the scope as I scanned the lake. Minutes later it whanged back again the other way - result! Just aboot annual here but you can't count 'em till you get 'em, innit!

firecrest for 100 up!

Old father spoons worked his magic this am with a fine firecrest in Dirk, which I managed to track down this pm, putting me smack bang on 100% for the year, and into bonus time! Couldn't find his long-tailed tits tho, the bugger!!

Ah yes,the redstart...

Well prompted chief! Today we saw a redstart at galley - it was nice. i licked it.

This wasn't it

you got a fat neck, fat neck

yellow browed at Galley

Woohoo! Dug out a fine yellow browed warbler in Dirk this morning, in a stiff easterly and drizzle. Did a full lap of Galley afterwards waving to the crowds etc but couldn't do better than a handful of phylloscs, blackcap and 25 blue tits! Just one more required for the ton, and second place ahead of shakey!! Easterlies set to continue for next coupla days - its gonna be monster!

More monster this very afternoon after news of a lunchtime firecrest at Shite Lane! Once the rain eased off, it was swiftly hoovered for the year - 1st one on patch since 2008! Skills!

Right up Shaky's arse!

Nowt new on a two hour seawatch (60 sooties tho - not bad!), so was desperately scanning the lake for a year tick when what should pop into view? Only a less-than-annual-and-you-can't-be-counting-on-one-showing-up Wigeon! Fantastic! Two to go for the ton!

fisher of kings

whoop! whilst watching (count 'em) two green sands on the lakeshore this pm, a kingfisher flew over the top of them and off into the reeds - fantastic! Not quite annual and need to be jammy for em - all good!

bully's special prize

Quick on the draw this morning when I heard a forlorn piping call - "bullfinch" i thought, and sure enuff, there she was in the garden sycamore - a classy bird if ever there was one! About me 6th for the patch I tink, certainly less than annual, tho missed one in Dirk back in the autumn. Not enuff to catch boy roy though, yet....

not over yet!

Two big scores over da weekend leaves me closing in on the boy royzah. First up was 4 (count 'em) gadwall on saturday morning on de lake, with a great crested grebe hot on their heels de following morning - gadwall was me 2nd record on patch (after 4 last dec on the sea - returning birds?), whilst greasy grebe was me 4th record - all good, and still need pochard, scaup, sanderling, glaucous (all relatively get-able) to leave me with a Twop Two finish! Specially as Reg has been frozen on 72.56% plus whatever he gets from now on! What a waste!