Thursday, 2 January 2020
Ol' Snowy
Rather than subject you all to a vote I suggest we follow the example of recent years and just award the best find to the bird that is the obvious best find - red eyed vireo Galley. Savi's is a notable second, but I think we would all rather find a REV than a Savi's. If no one disagrees, then for the first time ever there will be no movement in either the Golden Mallard or Ol' Snowy.
There goes 2019...
Well, there goes 2019 and what a cracking year it was on the Patch.
Although I visited the patch infrequently during the end of the year I did manage to scrape a few more species, with a Snow Bunting at the end of October and both a Barn Owl and Woodcock on the 21/12. This meant that I eventually finished the year with a ridiculous patch total of 124 species and a whopping 116.98%...
Best bird of the year was undoubtedly the Savi's on 23 April and again two weeks later; this being only the third record for mainland Scotland. Highlights during the spring included a stunning summer plum white-billed diver, a drake garganey and a couple of red-backed shrikes and bluethroats. The 'not so great pool' actually produced decent variety of waders including knot, green sand and a couple of Temminck's stints, all first's for the patch.
Over the course of the year there were 11 full fat patch ticks including, after six years of searching, Canada goose.
There were plenty of birds 'missed' that could and should have been got if only I could be bothered spending anytime looking at the sea, which, if I had, I reckon would have produced at least half a dozen additional species, with the likes of red-throated diver, common scoter, long-tailed duck, red-breasted merganser and Arctic skua all absent in the 2019 total. Birds like Fieldfare, garden warbler and pied fly would also have boosted the yearly total. Luckily though all this means is that I've a chance to do better in 2020, which of course I won't but with my target based on the last three years now standing at 112.6 species, I still reckon there's a chance of retaining the trophy for a further year.
Happy New Year to you all and Happy days
Bushveld
Although I visited the patch infrequently during the end of the year I did manage to scrape a few more species, with a Snow Bunting at the end of October and both a Barn Owl and Woodcock on the 21/12. This meant that I eventually finished the year with a ridiculous patch total of 124 species and a whopping 116.98%...
Best bird of the year was undoubtedly the Savi's on 23 April and again two weeks later; this being only the third record for mainland Scotland. Highlights during the spring included a stunning summer plum white-billed diver, a drake garganey and a couple of red-backed shrikes and bluethroats. The 'not so great pool' actually produced decent variety of waders including knot, green sand and a couple of Temminck's stints, all first's for the patch.
Over the course of the year there were 11 full fat patch ticks including, after six years of searching, Canada goose.
There were plenty of birds 'missed' that could and should have been got if only I could be bothered spending anytime looking at the sea, which, if I had, I reckon would have produced at least half a dozen additional species, with the likes of red-throated diver, common scoter, long-tailed duck, red-breasted merganser and Arctic skua all absent in the 2019 total. Birds like Fieldfare, garden warbler and pied fly would also have boosted the yearly total. Luckily though all this means is that I've a chance to do better in 2020, which of course I won't but with my target based on the last three years now standing at 112.6 species, I still reckon there's a chance of retaining the trophy for a further year.
Happy New Year to you all and Happy days
Bushveld
2019 all wrapped up
Well, Bushveld has done it again. With an absolutely mahoosive total too. Thats back to back consecutive wins achieved for the first time for the Golden Mallard. If he manages three in a row though, I'm calling an enquiry!
In their first year in the competition, Tintin & Snowy managed a fine second place - just as well it wasn't top spot, or we'd be embroiled in yet another steward's enquiry.
The Proclaimers fought their way to third place on the podium, but finished a good bit off the pace of the two front runners, not even reaching the majik 100% barrier. Keep trying, boys....
Mid-table mediocrity for Royzah and Shakey, while the much-hyped return of the T2006 failed to live up to the er, hype.
Here, for posterity, are the 2019 final scores:
So there you have it. Basil Faulty is in last place, for the first time ever. This means he now gets 1.2% for every species in 2020, which is, quite frankly, outrageous! 2019 was my worst year ever on patch, however, I still only get 0.79% per species. Arse.
In their first year in the competition, Tintin & Snowy managed a fine second place - just as well it wasn't top spot, or we'd be embroiled in yet another steward's enquiry.
The Proclaimers fought their way to third place on the podium, but finished a good bit off the pace of the two front runners, not even reaching the majik 100% barrier. Keep trying, boys....
Mid-table mediocrity for Royzah and Shakey, while the much-hyped return of the T2006 failed to live up to the er, hype.
Here, for posterity, are the 2019 final scores:
 |
| Some scores, yesterday |
Tuesday, 31 December 2019
Monday, 9 December 2019
goosed
A few bits and bobs including greylag goose brings us up to 75 species, or 96.56%. Still not enough to catch the leaders. Not that we want to cast aspersions, but I hear a lot of their anti-doping files were accidentally been deleted.....
Tuesday, 5 November 2019
Astounding happenings at Philpstoun*
Since my last post things have hotted up on the patch. On the day of my last post extolling the lack of its virtues the patch produced an avalanche of black-tailed godwits. 42 turned on on my normally quiet flooded field. This peak was never reached again but the blackwits have continued to visit along with an influx of snipe which now seem to be regulars. Since then a number of good birds have turned up: a flyby peregrine and kingfisher and dabchick on the canal for the first time in a few years. To cap this glorious renaissance of the patch today I finally found a nuthatch, a long awaited coloniser taking the patch list to 94 and 85 for the year. Clearly this purple patch will merely mean future dreariness but at least I can momentarily ride on an ornithological high.
*Astounding is relative obviously.
*Astounding is relative obviously.
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Last ditch autumnal efforts
Last day of Oct - last day of SE winds for the foreseeable and I was reduced to floundering in Old Spoons's wake as he turned up both Lesser Whitethroat & Firecrest in Dirk. Sadly his Bramble finch had left by the time I got there but I managed to turn the tide with a fine Shoveler on the lake afterwards - a three year tick day rounding off a fairly dismal October on patch!
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