Phew, migrants!

 Yes indeedy, things is starting to happen hereabouts, as migrants begin to get through. Still no ears here but a sandwich tern off the beach and a willow warbler in me garden on wednesday were the first official harbingers of spring. Old Spoons turned up a black redstart just off patch yesterday evening, which I managed to glean from the Majik Patio (TM), not new for the year but a sign that things is picking up. Spoonsy struck again mid-morning with a fine brambling on the top lane, which I had to twitch at high speed in case it got flushed - you know what photographers are like these days! Sure enuff, he booted it off minutes after I'd arrived!! #FrameFilling

Not to be (totally) outdone, I managed to dig out a new black redstart further down the lane, but neither of us could locate any pink and white flouncy efforts before the rain came on, even though they is seemingly everywhere on the south coast today. Ah well, maybe I'll find one tomorrow, if its not too wet!

All to play for!

Sunday nite update: still nowt better than black redstart at Galley but did manage to twitch two local hoopoes over le weekend, which was nice!

Cracking male black redstart yesterday

A hoopoe just off patch yesterday

Ooooo Migrants

 Yes indeedy, the long wait for spring is finally over. It started on thursday pm when I bumped into 2 fresh-in chiffchaffs bouncing around the gorse bushes on the top lane. By friday, numbers had increased to at least 9 birds although I'm sure there were way more than that, as birds weren't being very showy in the stiff easterly breeze.

Managed to get out again on sunday, when in addition to 4 more chiffs, I banged into a very smart male black redstart briefly, before it booted off. Always good to get a black red nice and early in the year.

Another quick look in the wheatear-less fields this lunchtime and sadly, while they were still ear-less, I did glean a sparrowhawk for the year and another chiff.

Any day now for the ears, hopefully!

Springing up the leader board

I've been surprising myself (and Seppy, I think) with an uncharacteristic burst of enthusiasm. Somehow I'm managing to drag my normally sedentary carcass all the way down to the coast on a reasonably regular basis to check the new patch. It's yielded many of the usual suspects, and a few pleasant surprises to boot.

Highlights include a rather fetching female Ring-necked duck that turned up in January, and is still on the lake hanging out with the tufty flock. She was joined in February by a female Goldeneye... also still there. 

Spring kicked off last week with at least 6 black-redstarts and a couple of fine-looking male Brambling on patch. No wheatears yet, but squillions of chiffchaffs have arrived. Nothing more tasty yet... but not a bad start.

All of which shennanigans takes me to 86, or 70.49% for the year.

Coastal commitments naturally mean I can't be arsed slogging around The Mall much these days. Even so, garden and car tickage is keeping things ticking over (see what I did there?). Best bird, and a full fat patch tick, was a fly-over Ringo a couple of nights ago.

So The Mall is on 51 species, or 65.11%.

Amayzing!

Non-numenids

The year list tally continues to trundle slowly on at Galley - the stiff & cold NE breeze isn't really helping but did manage 3 (count 'em) whitethroats this am, which was new, along with 2 blackcaps, 3 willow warblers and at least 10 (!) wheatears, which weren't.

Strolling back to the office after lunch, I set up the scope to scan the lake, and as luck would have it, picked up a mixed numenid flock in the lakeside fields - imagine my surprise when I clocked that two of the birds werent numenids at all, but were in fact bar-tailed godwits! A scarce visitor to the patch, and one I didn't get last year!

Rattled off a quick proof-of-life phone-scope body of evidence shot and rushed to put the news out herewith!

Non-numenidic evidence

Onwards & upwards!

Swallow!

Just now... from the front garden... which along with a few dribs and drabs like Jay, and a noteable Shellduck on the lake since I last updated the blog, leaves me on 76.72%... or nipping at the heels of The Proclaimers for that vaunted top spot on the podium.

But it's slooooow and incredibly tedious, with birds few and far between.

Anyone else getting fed up with this patch birding caper?

UPDATE

Chiff singing on patch bumps me up to 77.86%!

slow trickle

not a lot happening yet, although have managed a whopping 4 (count 'em) wheatears and a handful of chiffchaffs, in the last few days. Also tystie (scream for me, stevie G) and buzzard too.

slow going!

a trickle of migs

Despite the freezing winds, I was out giving it loads today, and was duly rewarded with not one but two (count 'em) singing chiffchaffs innit. Out again late pm after a big shower went through and discovered 7 (count 'em) wheatears had been grounded - hoping for a rouzel tomorrow!

slacker

oops! haven't divulged me scores for ages! Oh well - although the spring has hardly arrived yet, I did manage wheatear, chiff, willow, blackcap and swallow before the end of March, and have added sarnie and purp sand in the last couple of days! Just need the easterly wind to drop a bit and there'll be all sorts to find! Old spoons found a velvet scoter just off patch a few days ago too and its still here - just need a calm day to nail it - patch gold!

nae ears

no wheatears yet, tho its still officially a week early. 6 blackwits was de best i could manage today, and its goin shitty again tomorrow! Arse! Still, puts me level with Costner, so i put my score above his, for the laugh!