Patch ticks and bats...

Spent last night trying some petrel ringing on the patch for the first time.  Managed to catch a few stormies (a full fat patch tick no less!) and rather unexpectedly 8 bats of three species, including a couple of Natterer's (a new bat for me) and rather randomly a long-eared bat (nowhere near a single tree) and some pips.  The first time I've ever been ringing and caught more bats than birds!

Not to worry, the stormies and a redshank the other day put me nicely on 89.42 and slips into second place.

Happy days

Bushveld

Where's me scope?

At long last the wind has rolled round to the south-west and started to pick up. Time to dig out the scope and fling me leg over the wall at Galley for a seawatch or two! Its been ok too, good numbers of Great Shearwaters (360-odd, count 'em) and Cory's Shearwaters (51, count 'em again), plus a couple of Balearic Shearwaters and a good few Sooty Shearwaters. Plus padders like Tystie, Common Tern (Thanks Ross!), Bonxie and the like to bump up the numbers. All good. Sadly just shy of Bushveld's total - looks like I'll have to give the sea another lash again shortly!

All a bit swift

I feel bad for doing this to Bushveld, but we've just updated our score. Swift and the two martins, together with red legged partridge takes us to 95.63%. Its pretty dull out there just now, but that does free up plenty time for cycling.

LBBG

My first Lesser black-back gull since 2nd April 2016 puts me just two species away from a place I've never been.

Happy days

Bushveld

A rosy patch tick

Happy days

A rosy starling has graced Bullers this last week, nicely in the patch.

Added puffin at last and three swifts of the common variety.

Puts me nicely on 85.58%

Bushveld

Ol' Snowy returns ... or does he?

When the parcel arrived yesterday morning it was with great anticipation and just a little excitement that I began opening it.

Ol' Snowy returns back to his natural homeland.

I knew it had to be Ol' Snowy, returning back to his natural homeland of NE Scotland.  As I carefully peeled back the layers of parcel I pondered briefly on how he'd faired down in Kent, so far south and such a long way for this ageing owl to migrate.  I began to feel sorry for it.  The last time I'd seen the poor creature it's wing was badly broken and knowing that, over a year ago, it had made the  movement south on the basis of a claim of a feral great bustard must have made the journey all the more painful.

But now, back safely, and very neatly parcelled was Ol' snowy...

Ol' Snowy neatly parcelled in a new box..

Puzzled by the neatness of the packaging and the newness of the box (Usually it is bunged in a bit of  bubble wrap and a reused envelope), it was with increasing trepidation that I opened the box.

"WTF"....

A fine piece of porcelain, but not Ol' Snowy!  

Check out the suspended moult in the outer two greater coverts...

Full Frontal

This isn't Ol Snowy, it's an imposter... surely some mistake.  Maybe that cretin from Kent has kept the original and tried to pass off this poor imitation...

 or maybe Ol' Snowy just couldn't face the long journey back home.  He's now passing his remaining days in the warmer climes to be found in 'Garden of England'...and who could blame him.  He's done sterling work since he arrived on the scene, having graced many a mantlepiece up and down the patch list land.  His presence providing a warm reminder to those who have bagged the patch list find, the Megas (or not so Mega in some years) that have graced our patches.  And for those who take on the challenge it is a prize, beyond all others, to win this much coveted trophy.

So, there we have it, a brand new Snowy, which will, no doubt, become as widely travelled across the patches in the years to come.  

New Snowy appreciating a quality patch find.

(That's enough of this drivel)

Happy Days

Bushveld

Stop yer 'grine-ing

Inspired by the presence of the Golden Mallard, we've been out at it again. The last couple of weeks have produced a haul of Sylvias (well, garden warbler and whitethroat) along with a great fly by peregrine.  This 'should be annual' species is by no means guaranteed on Boghall. Also of note, but not a patch year tick, was first May record of jay. All this brings us to 69, or 90.39%. It'll be a long slog from here on in though.