Aaaaaauuurrrgghhh..........

Is a fair reproduction of the sound I uttered on having to get up Far Too Early this morning. Yes, Fun Times are over and it's Back To Work, on days too, just to stick the boot in.

But before all that suffering and woe...

Having spent the previous two days seeing fancy waders on other peoples' Patches, I spent Thursday resolutely on mine. Much was the bashing and many were the Dunnocks, Wrens, Robins, and Chiffs quietly cursed. Eventually I headed home with but one 'decent' bird to show for the day. But it was a juv. Whinchat, so I was content. :D

Friday I went for another Yomp on t'Moor. Not quite such an epic distance [::Coff coff::] as the week before; I went up the Avon from Shipley Bridge, hung a left to The Sub, then on to Western White Barrow, down to the tramway and around to Leftlake, then up Three Barrows, before dropping down to Hickley Tors, then down Diamond Lane [with funky fallen tree right near the top to vex riders.. ouch] to get back to Shipley. The sun shone mightily and the wind barely blew; with the grass and bracken starting to turn it finally felt like August! [Oops] There were still a few Wheatears up there, and another passing Hobby [plus at least 3 Buzzards and a high altitude Kestrel!], which didn't chase anything in my view. I had picked a route with plenty of nice viewpoints for any passing raptors which may have been feeling charitable, a nice Kite or Honey Buzzard, say, but no joy. The gunky haze didn't help at all - the best I could do was 'Distant raptor which might not have been a Buzzard'  ;)

On Saturday first thing at a misty Hope's Nose, despite the conditions [night had started clear] I could only find a couple of Willow Warblers. So I did what I'd nearly done the day before and went down to Soar!

It was pretty thin on the ground there, too. I did find some more WWs, one of which was very showily catching flies at East Soar Farm. Less fancy but sitting better for the scope at the same spot - in the same bushy bit, in fact - was a Spotted Flycatcher. :) There were a few Wheatears knocking around and a fewer Yellow Wags, plus the first Woodpig flock of the autumn; 62 in this one, so a way to go yet. On a non-birding front, I was treated to a very close view of a combine harvesting the airfield, which was almost as enjoyable for me as for the kid in the cab with his dad, who was clearly having a great time :)

Having thoroughly worked over the eastern half, I decided instead of wandering over to the western bit to instead drop in on West Charleton Marsh, where I have not been for a long long time. Tide and sun were out, so the glare was just as evil as I remembered, but it was good practice in identifying common waders by silhouette and movement only.

Yesterday I had Things To Do in Newton. Thus I only got to give the Patch a brief going over; I got absolutely sod all..

Spotted Crakes.. Pec Sands.. Hundreds of Balearics... It's definitely Monday.