A Timely Update?!?

Cutting in to my sequence, something actually almost to date.. [What madness is this?!?]

Being back on Days, and it being That time of year, I've been doing some skywatching on my lunch break. This has paid off nicely, in quality if not quantity.

Monday [Sun, few high clouds]: 2 single Swallow low N, 12 Woodpigeon medium height N, 1 Red Kite low S [at about 100', in sunshine; lovely!], in heavy inner primary moult but with intact tail as far as could be seen.

Tuesday [Overcast, stronger wind]: 2 Swallow low N [together], 1 kite sp. over high [picked up when past overhead], circling for even more altitude and departing W. Tail looked 'off' for intact RK and against grey clouds colour not certain. Occam's Razorbill* would say RK with tail moult/damage [perhaps a duller-toned individual] but as BK has been reported in SW repeatedly in recent days, this cannot be ruled out. Thus 'kite sp.'

Wednesday [Sun with bright overcast rapidly spreading]: 3+ Swallow very low N

Despite the wind I had hopes for a hat-trick, but bright cloud and the horrific glare associated with it [UV scatter is a bugger] came over as I was watching. Of course, odds against a bird passing in the short time I could watch and all that, too, but as kites had gone over 4 mins apart on consecutive days...?

To compare, last week's combined total passage was 5 Swallow and 2 Stock Dove. Yeah.

These are the third and fourth kite days I've had in, ah, 17 years of assorted Summer skywatches.

I will get to my next Big Update. At some point.

Be Seeing You...

[[* Birding version of Occam's Razor 'the simplest explaination is likely true'. Occam's Razorbill says an uncertain ID is most likely to be the commonest species possible. The name refers to a seawatching truism about possible Brünnich's Guillemot; it's going to be a 1w Razorbill. Though not always, as the Portland Harbour bird from a 'few' years back reminds us.]]