Absenteeism

Jeez, been a bit slack with my attendance on here! Still, had a slow trickle of year ticks since I last posted, including such finery as tystie, sooty, stormie, baleary, ringoey, & common sandy. So that sees me safely back in front of Old Hadders and Senor Kostco but still sadly lagging behind Mr Bushey.

Still and all, can't grumble, with ace views of a fantastic summer male Mongolian Sandplover  on the weekend - have a pic!

Lovely job, Ted!

Loxia love

Friday saw the addition of crossbill to the year list for the patch, with 9 birds flying over the garden during breakfast. Maybe these were the birds that i had on Saturday further out into the patch proper. Or maybe not.That and house martin (overlooked from adding to the list earlier in the year) bring me to within 1 species on 100%. What will it be????

It's good to have a hobby

I was walking up to my car with a large piece of boat on my head on Sunday when I heard alarm calling. It was a hobby trying to harvest some of the village's swallow crop. I didn't even have time to drop the boat part on my foot, let alone find some binoculars before it swept off north. This was a full fat patch tick, which always goes down well. Add to that a whimbrel heard from the house (hot weather = windows open).

Summer madness

While not up to the standard of the recent run of UK rares, my garden had its own spell of summer madness on Monday evening. And since my garden is the start of my patch, they all count. First up was a ghostly barn owl floating past at the back of the garden – not a patch tick but new for the year and a quality bird. But headline spot goes to a twee wee wee night flying common sandpiper that flew over within 10 minutes. Oddly, this was predicted as a possible species by Seppy a couple of years ago. Way to go Seppy, and since you predicted quail and common sand correctly, perhaps you would like to make a few more predictions for the coming seasons. Cracking patching for sure, all from the comfort of my own decking. 95.95%, approaching the ton.

The Proclaimers (hot)

Anyone seen a snowy owl

It's now past mid-summers day and the nights are drawing in but still no sign of that snowy owl...

You would have thought that with a name like Statto he would know a year only has 365 days in it.  But apparently not and having claimed the prize back in 2011 he's decided it warrants a second year.

Anyway, I've been keeping busy and even built a whole new fireplace just hoping for the day that a snowy owl might stop by...

The couple of stock doves last week won't keep the snowy owl but adds one more to the year list.

Happy days

Bushveld

Moving swiftly on....

Sitting outside enjoying an evening beer in the uncharacteristic West Cork sunshine last week when "BOOM!"... three (1... 2... 3...) swifts hurtled overhead.

Breaking the 90% barrier with 90.91%... but frustratingly STILL in third spot.

Seppy keeps telling me I need to get out more... I'm beginning to think he may be right.

Otter have known

Probably time that we two minstrels stopped our idle strumming and brought you up to date. No, not a new album, but happenings on Boghall after a week on Shetland:
Garden warbler brings the list to 69, or 93.24%. Top of the heap.
Oystercatcher chicks running around waiting to be predated by the local foxes
And best of all, yesterday evening, otter in the burn in the garden. Not a bird, but a cracking garden tick (although not as good as Bushy's recent run I grant you). perhaps it was after the goosander.

Happy birding,

Craig and Charlie