They're Heeeeere!!!!

SWIFTS!

After the lone evening bird last week there's not been a sniff of a Swift turn up in my pre-work evening checks. Until last night, when at least 3 were low over the rooftops, and first thing this morning a screaming party [too quick to count!] came by at gutter height. This is 3 days earlier than last year - so not everything is running late.

Oh, Happy Happy Joy Joy! Summer is a cumen' in.

:)


A late update on the weekend's news: Sod all.

After work on Saturday, the Patch had nowt to report. Not surprising with the hour and all the bods, I suppose. Sunday morning I gave it more and went searching to see if Whitethroats had arrived anywhere other than the Nose. Nope.
Anything fancier than Chiffs and Blackcaps singing? Nope.
Any passing migrants? 3 Swallows.

Yeah, dire. The weather didn't help, of course..

I got back and was straight out again as the Folks fancied another trip about Yarner [there was coffee and dark Kitkats on offer - you can't say no]. Wood Warblers had been reported...

Nope. Not even a single Pied Fly. We did get some nice Willow Warblers, including a very showy one, up on the Trendlebeare edge but nothing of major excitement. No Tripits and certainly no Garden Warblers. Even the pond was empty.. at least until we were leaving, when a lone drake Mandarin appeared. This is not to say the residents weren't about, but again the weather wasn't exactly helping. Oh well. It is greening up wonderfully there, and even without birds, Yarner's always nice to wander about. Last but not least, there was a gorgeous buck Roe Deer [5 points a side], which crossed the track in front of us - right by the hide, too - and sent Tilbury into fits of rapturous yapping....



Only other thing worth blabbing about is the clear night let me do some stargazing on my break at work last night and I finally caught up with PanSTARRS, though I couldn't get a view of Saturn. Oh, and comment moderation is back on - sorry - due to a moron who thinks spamming barely-read blogs is a good way to advertise...  >:(