Eat Sleep Work Repeat

As opposed to what it should be [delete 'work', replace with 'bird'!]


While it is nice to be busy, it's also bloody tiring when you're doing overtime every frickin' day. It also gets in the way of more important things, like swearing at the extortion racket they call IoW ferries....



FFS



Well, the weather's not ideal this weekend anyway, and when you're going that far [and paying maybe £95!!!!!] you want to at least have decent conditions to watch my Second Most Desired Birds do what they do. Speaking of, if anybody reading this is interested in a group field trip, please get in touch; next Friday or weekend [though Sundays look even worse] - even this Sunday if plausible - maybe even Monday if I don't have to do all the driving.




Right.. Tired birder makes for worse than usual posting, so a quick barebones roundup;


Last Sunday the local Swifts went - an early departure [previous earliest recorded was the 31st, in 2012]. I got about the Patch, finding Brown Hairstreak [though not having a chance at photos - even though I caught one coming to nectar, it settled out of sight, the git!] at two nearby locations. The Big Butterfly Patch had at least 8 SW Frits, but no sign of any Clouded Yellows, or even Painted Ladies. Also very good was a juv. Pied Fly in the woods along Bishop's Walk - definite migrant there! :D I also finally got an evening shearwater at the Nose - a lone Manxie! Also at the Nose were a few passing phylloscs; mostly Chiffs but at least one Willow Warbler, with several juvie Blackcaps that may well be locals. A Whimbrel was on the Lead Stone briefly and a smart juv Med Gull flew past.


On Monday, a juvenile Jay was outside my window.


Today, the Nose was very quiet - nice pulses of rain, wind in SSW, but no strength in it! Another juvie Med Gull and 3 BHGs was IT for my seawatch, though watching a Crow getting Oyked was most amusing ;)  Butterfly-wise, the Nose is alive with Gatekeepers [including loads of those irritating little bright ones] and a fair few Meadow Browns, but nothing sexier was showing.

Just about an hour ago, a lone Swift came over and lingered for a couple of minutes before heading south. I checked it carefully [well, if you don't check...] but it was indeed Common.


Finally, there was a stowaway on my li'l car yesterday afternoon;

Bush Cricket sp.?

It also had veeery long antennae

A much more welcome passenger than the big Horseflies - autumnalis, as featured on TBT - that have taken to landing on it at work recently. Imagine getting out of your car and turning to shut the door, only to find one of those things sitting on it.. Not amusing.
[I remain unbitten, fortunately - the bigger ones do seem to prefer bigger targets, plus I have my trusty nosilife shirt]