Patch 1 2 v 0 Patch 2

The Safari was on the cliffs in a strong north-westerly which had a bit of a nasty chill to it. We had intended to watch the tide up for a couple of hours and a half but gave up after the first hour, might not have stuck it out even quite that long. It was cold and uncomfortable and even from our high vantage point spray was starting to splash over us - must be getting wimpy cos if there was the chance of a Leach's Petrel we'd have braved the elements but with nothing to show apart from two horrifically distant Gannets we bottled out...and still no Manxies.

By mid-morning the sun had come out although thee wind hadn't dropped and as Frank asked to be taken out we ventured over to the park. And boy are we glad we did! The Butterfly Zone was warm and sheltered and at the end, where it joins the park, we'd have sworn blind we heard a Sedge Warbler singing a short phrase from the deepest thicket...not typical habitat so we stopped and listened. Nothing...so we moved back and round into the scrub where we stand to look for the White Letter Hairstreaks...no Sedge Warbler but the Spotted Flycatcher MJ found over a week ago was still there!!! Not really surprising concidering the weather we've endure this week but great to see and get another visiting birder on to. While we were watching the Spotted Flycatcher the Sedge Warbler fired up again...surely this isn't the same bird as our patch 'first' a couple of weeks ago - been very very quiet in the interim if it has.

Where to next? NBPT Survey work tomorrow morning.

In the meantime let us know if you think 'Pool will stay up...would be no doubt if they hadn't have let a goal in in the 89th minute at Spurs last week! In fact they've thrown away 13 points by conceding last minute goals this season...dohhhh

Might go out again this evening and see if the camera can be pointed at anything catching flies...watch this space.

PS - our Extreme Photographer is back from Aus so when he has sorted through his thousands of photos we'll post some of the Antipodes' weird and wonderful wildlife for you to enjoy.