Thump thump thump

The sound of me bashing the Patch today....

While Great Reed Warblers were being molested in the Deep South, and desperate twitchers were making the Long March to Blakeney, I was out looking for whatever I could find. No casual affair this, either - I started early and kept at it well into the afternoon, with only hunger and dehydration eventually sending me home... ;)

Early on it was delectably crisp and clear - the air had the wonderful zing in it you only get on the dark side of the equinoxes, and the sky was a cloudless blue... A few Hirundines were on the move - House Martins south and Swallows north [go figure...] - and a few migrants were tarrying on the coast - Chiff and Whitethroat performing the best. Jays were much in evidence; I got eyes on 11, and there could easily have been twice as many. Continental migrants, or just locals after the acorns and lots of youngsters still about? Option 2 methinks.

I admit I was hoping to find a nice Wryneck - everybody else seems to be this year! - but despite checking known previous sites [and 'this should be good for...' sites] I drew a blank. Drat. I did get some ridiculously good views of Jays, and an early garden Goldcrest [not in my garden though.. :( ] which also got me some looks, as said garden was of the 'I earn more in a week than you do in a year, peasant' variety... Also getting me funny looks was trying to keep track of the Peregrine that was staying in the sun over The Downs - what you get for being between it and the Woodpigs, I suppose! At least I didn't get chavs shouting moronic things about me staring at my hand [this time..]

Anyway... It is a good and righteous thing to bash your patch, even when you don't find an Alder Flycatcher, it makes you feel better about yourself. Of course, seeing an Alder Flycatcher's pretty frickin' good too [even if it is an obvious escape - I mean, its on the wrong side of the country to have come from america! ;p ], but this is a more wholesome high [[There was an analogy here, but it was removed for legal reasons]].

Oh yes, speaking of Peregrines; one of them and then a Raven makes my Work List a mighty 45! Woo!

And no, I didn't see the Seal......