What Happened To Spring?

Summer's already here!?!!?!!

Birding in a t-shirt today, deary deary me...

A long and hot prowl around the Patch as I kept it local the whole weekend for the first time in ages. Still no Wheatears, but I got into double figures of singing Blackcaps so not all bad. The hordes too seemed to think it was summer, and everywhere swiftly began to fill with the teeming masses. [[Insert anti-social git-type rant of your choice here, folks]] I don't actually hate other people using the Nose [or indeed anywhere else.. Ahem.], just as long as they shut the gate, take their rubbish away, clean up after their dogs, and don't burn holes in the SSSI with their barbecues... That isn't too much to ask, is it? Anyway, before I start muttering about the need for a nice suppressed sniping rifle [[AK-47s are very nice, but far too noisy. We have to think of the birds, don't we? ;) ]] on with the bird stuff...

I spent a lot of time prowling around the Nose, and indeed waiting for an interesting-looking phyllosc to come out into the open in the Top Dell. It didn't. Drat. A few Mipits were new in and the littoralis had gone, so there is some movement happening, just not of the white-derriered kind. Speaking of, a Mistle Thrush went over north-bound as I desperately tried Walls Hill for Wheatears. Walls Hill has lots of lovely posts but no Wheatears will ever sit on them..

Finally, there is a beautiful sunset going on - its twisted, the weather. Once again clouds prevent me from seeing Mercury and Uranus. Ok, from trying to see Mercury and Uranus. With Mercury fading fast, it looks like I'm out of time. Bugger. Still have a shot at Saturn, though - Saturn's a nice planet; gets earlier, not dimmer..

EDIT: Oh, Saturn's more than a nice planet, Saturn's an absolutely gorgeous planet!!! Wow.......

[[Ahem. So, I got a very good view of Saturn tonight. Big Scope + Clear Night + Calm Air = Ding-Ding-Ding Jackpot...]]