This morning the Safari did OK on Patch 1. It was Sylvia-fest with a Garden Warbler singing away from cover deep in a Hawthorn bush, along with the, now usual, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and three Blackcaps. Phylloscs were represented by a single Chiffchaff.
Thankfully no more deaths to report and we got a reasonable count of eight Blackbirds, including Mr Leucistic’s widow with a beakful of worms so she is still feeding her brood. Heavy overnight rain will have made her job a little easier but the ground is still pretty much bone dry.
We didn’t do so well on Patch 2 though. The rising tide should have been productive but it was dire, probably due to the offshore wind. All we could manage was a flock of three distant auks winging south and a few pin pricks of white light out over the far side of the river channel were terns from their behaviour, possibly Arctics, but equally possibly Sandwich Terns.
That lot was good compared to our lunchtime visit when all we could find was a Gannet that did a couple of loop-the-loops in the hazy distance but didn’t end up diving for fish and a single Common Scoter. A string of distant white dots turned in to a string of eight Arctic Terns travelling north.
Little Terns appeared south of the river yesterday so hopefully one or two may venture across our southern border and reach the notebook. How much more of this excitement can we take and where are the Arctic Skuas?
Where to next? More thrilling excitement guaranteed – it’s mid May it should be cripplingly good.
In the meantime let us know if you’re being over-excited by your outback this week
Thankfully no more deaths to report and we got a reasonable count of eight Blackbirds, including Mr Leucistic’s widow with a beakful of worms so she is still feeding her brood. Heavy overnight rain will have made her job a little easier but the ground is still pretty much bone dry.
We didn’t do so well on Patch 2 though. The rising tide should have been productive but it was dire, probably due to the offshore wind. All we could manage was a flock of three distant auks winging south and a few pin pricks of white light out over the far side of the river channel were terns from their behaviour, possibly Arctics, but equally possibly Sandwich Terns.
That lot was good compared to our lunchtime visit when all we could find was a Gannet that did a couple of loop-the-loops in the hazy distance but didn’t end up diving for fish and a single Common Scoter. A string of distant white dots turned in to a string of eight Arctic Terns travelling north.
Little Terns appeared south of the river yesterday so hopefully one or two may venture across our southern border and reach the notebook. How much more of this excitement can we take and where are the Arctic Skuas?
Where to next? More thrilling excitement guaranteed – it’s mid May it should be cripplingly good.
In the meantime let us know if you’re being over-excited by your outback this week
PS COME ON YOU 'POOL tonight at the City Ground
1 comment:
Well i'm glad it's cripplingly good for you dave, its bloody 'orrible down 'ere!
Shame about the Blackie yesterday :-(
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