Saturday 20 August 2011

David and Goliath

Well, Day Two in the Barred Warbler hunt.  As yesterday, Sylvia nisoria nil points!

Did 'bag' a few butterflies en route from car to burnt gorse, a Small Copper:


And a Speckled Wood:


And met the man with the biggest in the UK; his is twice as long as mine (List for GB/Ireland, that is)!

In terms of birds, many a Whitethroat fly-catching and that was it.  Could have been worse; it could have been raining!

Closing Time

An hour at West Hartford last night before going out to take advantage of another Groupon/Living Social voucher (for those not yet indoctrinated, try here and here, you cannot lose.  Had two hours of falconry on Thursday for £14, which was amazing, and last night, an Italian meal for four was £29!).

Anyway, back to matters ornithological, main pool had 200 gulls; a dozen H, half a dozen LBB and the rest split between C and BH.  Ten Teal were present and one Greenshank.  The smaller pool had 20 Mallards.

Friday 19 August 2011

75 Not 'Owt!

Spent an hour and a quarter at N-b-t-S Golf Club this pm.  The course itself looks in immaculate condition.

Was reassured by Dusted Off Bins and his record shots that the bird was there, but despite my 75 minute stint, nothing concrete.

Back tomorrow................................

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Minimalism

Great when it describes art, naff when it relates to birding!

The sea today?  Flat in every sense off Snab.

Cresswell was better - 3 Ruff, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Knot, 11 Dunlin and plenty of 'stuff'.

Druridge - 1 Snipe, 1 Dunlin and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Cambois Beach - gulls and terns but nothing out of the ordinary and no Roseates.

Castle Island - 1 Common Sandpiper.

Bothal Pond - 1 Greenshank.

West Hartford - 3 Greenshank.

Arcot - nil waders.

Monday 15 August 2011

Two Ticks

West Hartford tonight - one Black-tailed Godwit and one Greenshank.  Two additions to the patch list.

Doesn't quite make up for missing the Wilson's but nice nonetheless.