Grit and Graft

Put into more Patch-bashing today. With some early rain after a clear start to the night, I thought there might be the odd migrant about. I can honestly say seawatching didn't occur - if it had, the adult Sabine's Gull a lucky chap got at Hope's this morning could well have been a real highlight... Drat and double drat.

I shouldn't be complaining at all, of course - I got an actual Patch and Garden tick today! :D Really not one I saw coming, either, especially in October;

So, I'm about to head out when I have a quick look out the back window and notice a goodly number of Blue and Great Tits [plus at least one Coal] knocking about - bins on and then I see something with them, something brown. Whisky Tango Foxtrot it's an acro!!!! An acro in a tree can only be a Reed Warbler [;)], and indeed it was. Ok, it might have been a Blyth's, I can't be utterly certain, but on jizz it was very Reed-y. If it looks like a 1w Reed Warbler, is shaped like a Reed Warbler, and moves like a Reed Warbler, then by golly it probably is a Reed Warbler!

Buoyed up by that, I went to bash the Patch.

Much bashing later, I realised that the day after a big front might not be so good. There were birds about, but the moderate and building southerly wind really did no favours, especially at the Nose. A few birds were in the Top Dell, but down and hiding as the wind whistled up it. The South Side and Bottom Dell had the same problem, but with less birds. The North Side is almost impossible to do anyway, though I surprised a Stonechat - I have to say it surprised me a bit too.. The wide cover on the Second and Third Slopes was also windswept, with only Blue Tits and Wrens hiding in the sheltered bits. Finally I got to the Fault Seat and, as it still hasn't fallen into the sea yet, sat down to watch the North Dell, as something tacky had flown in there on my approach.

You know you're having one of those days when you hear that odd tak suddenly call to the tune of 'Shave and a Haircut'.....

Things then looked up as I noticed an approaching gull that looked interesting - it was a Kittiwake! Adult winter plumage and flying at my level, it got closer and closer - finally passing so close I lowered my bins and went "Woah!" :D Then, just to rub it in, a 2w came along and did the same thing, so close I could've counted the remaining dark coverts in its wings. Kittiwakes are wonderful birds - I do feel a bit sorry for them, though, as you can't help but think, 'Yeah, they're lovely, but what about Sabine's...'. Its the same thing with Common Terns; lovely things, but then there are Arctics. They're the beautified versions. I'm rambling again....

So, no joy in finding vagrant passerines. [Stop laughing, one day I'll find a twitchable rarity, one day...] The day's highlights being the Reed Warbler in an apple tree, and two gorgeous flyby Kitts. All of which found me. Figures.