Work is the bane of the birding classes

The Safari dreams of being able to be in the field 24/7, well nearly 24/7...do need some sleep now and then, particularly on days like yesterday when it was all happening all over the place; those lucky enough to have the time were totally spoilt for choice about where to go and those that were mobile enough to visit a few sites probably had as good a days local birding as your going to get – we on the other hand were driving a desk in the morning but doing some (hopefully) useful and important teaching in school in the afternoon.

Once school had finished we collected Frank from his work and for a change he wanted a walk and not play football and took us all round Patch 1. Lively isn’t the word for the place even considering it was late afternoon.

There were Willow Warblers and Blackcaps everywhere – shoulda taken the cameraaaa – At least two Chiffchaffs sang and the Wrens (still not had one on patch 2 – the one the Young Uns saw a while back musta been a migrant)  we as loud as Wrens can be!

Nothing unusual in the migrant line was found but we did hear the Sparrowhawk and think we’ve found the nest high in a tree close to last years but further investigation is necessary for proof.

This morning we had a shuffy at the Fylde Bird Clubs sightings and discovered there had been/still was? a male Redstart in there, which woulda been a Patch 1 lifer....ouch that hurts...now was it there since first light and Frank’s ‘I’m going nowhere’ early morning paddy-fits have denied us? Shed loadsa Whinchats about too as we predicted and went hunting for – only to find we shoulda gone to the start of Chat Alley not the end....doohhh :-(...or been able to stay out longer and mooch round further.

A Willow Warbler singing from the back garden/school playing field was the only thing of note on a very very short Patch 1 safari.

The sea looked promising on the drive to work, calm but not as flat and glassy as yesterday. We paid particular to R’ouzel Puddle but there was nothing on it nor any of the other puddles.

Getting out to the wall we saw that a couple of other birders were already ensconced a little way along from us. Our first few scans gave us very little and it was a while before we found our first Sandwich Tern. Nothing much was doing until we eventually found a couple of Swallows out to sea and beyond the m a distant Gannet cruising by. That was about it!

A| mid morning brew break gave us the opportunity to have a quick blimp in the gardens and we found another Willow Warbler silently skulking away in the Tamarisk bushes – two days running WOW.

Lunchtime was even more grim. Apart from a couple of blogging Swallows whizzing up and down the wall and a heard only Sandwich Tern the excitement was confined to a very low Hercules transport plane heading north east this side of the wind farms being followed by what looked like a fast navy cutter which tazzed past a twin sailed yacht. Neither of the vessels had a AIS  so weren’t able to be identified here.

Another brew break mid afternoon gave us another chance to look round the gardens. An Oystercatcher flew over low calling loudly, possibly nesting on the flat roofed flats across the way...another thing to keep a watchful eye on.

The Dandelions and Daisies in the lawns look absolutely fabulous at the moment, don’t anyone dare say they’re ‘just weeds’ they are serious insect attracting bone-fide wildflowers!

The Honesty that’s appeared as if by magic growing in one of the raised beds isn’t a genuine wildflower but still attracts plenty of insects (on a sunny day) including Orange Tip butterflies; if we had any in this part of town that is.

A party of four Goldfinches became Patch 2 tick no 74, not entirely sure how they’ve avoided the list for over four months – oversight or have they really been absent?

We learned that the Wood Warbler was still in the big park so we stopped there on the way home for half an hour.

Wandering around the area it had been seen we  fired off at a Grey Squirrel perched in the crook of a tree enjoying a nut.

 At the lake the gulls are always unphased by the close approach of camera wielding hominids.

Across on the rail separating the kiddies boating pool there were two Common Sandpipers.

The ducks beg for grub totally unafraid of people or more likely this  ones about to mug us.

Of the 33 Mute Swans (were did they all come from) many were sporting Darviks so they should be easily traceable. The ones out of the water were easy to read but without a notebook (naughty... swapped coats forgot to transfer it) there were far too many to remember so we photographed as many as we could.

The ones in the water were trickier as the birds had the uncanny knack of infuratingly turning round the wrong way! We missed a good few!

 No Wood Warbler though...we went back a bit later met up with the Young Uns who had just arrived for a listen/look - again no joy but as soon as we got home we got a txt - they'd scored...b*mmer!!!!!

Where to next? Will there be any snakes in our grass?

In the meantime let us know who’s tazzing past what in your outback.