The Safari started the day very early when we were lying in bed and thought we had heard a Song Thrush singing...it stopped but in our half sleep haze we could have heard a phrase of a Blackbird that sounded a bit Song Thrushy...have to listen more intently tomorrow 'morning' - it was about 04.30hrs! To appear on the garden list they have to be within the garden, in the airspace directly above the garden or heard from inside the house. So we can't count the Peregrine (it wasn't there this evening) seen on the tower from the bedroom window but if we heard it from under the bed covers that would count - there's no logic there at all but that's this year's 'rules'. The Song Thrush, if it was one, was probably in the Golden Triangle and therefore nowhere near the garden.
We arrived at work a little after 07.30hrs and as soon as we stepped out of the Land Rover we heard Pink Footed Geese (P2 #24) going over; then we saw them in the glow from the street lights, 30 of them. More were heard later while we were at our desk before we ventured out with the scope.
On venturing out with the scope conditions were not far off perfect and a Dunnock (P2 #25) sang from the hedge along the front wall.
On the sea it was flat calm and we could see several small flocks of Common Scoters scattered around and a good many more perhaps 400 or so making their way south along the murky horizon.
16 Great Crested Grebes were counted and a Red Throated Diver flew south over them. A second Red Throated Diver was seen on the water.
In the mid distance the nose of a Grey Seal poked up above the waves, such as they were today. Our third mammal species of the year. No cetaceans though.
At lunchtime the conditions were equally good but there was little out there. The tide had ebbed and 16 Redshanks were foraging on the tideline along with 41 Sanderlings.
Where to next? Chilly conditions are forecast so hopefully a bit of movement might bring something onto Patch 2.
In the meantime let us know how flat it was in your outback.
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