G Whizz

Great day! Opened with another G bird this morning, the first-footing Grasshopper Warbler of 2015 reeling away at 6:15am somewhere just north of the NFRS HQ at Wessie H. And at 11:15, a text from Mr Malloy (or 'Sir' as he will be known henceforth) that read 'Make REDSTART horse fields next to North burn hill off cycle track view from gate just north of wood'. Well like a WWII Spitfire pilot waiting for the hun to come in over the briny, I dropped my roly, grabbed my hat and flying goggles and ran to the runway to board the crate (I actually put down my coffee, picked up the car keys and walked to the drive to get in the car) and was there in a flash. After what seemed like an age, spotted the little blighter and then ten minutes of trying to get a reasonable shot of what was a hyperactive chap considering its journey north. Anyway, here's the best of a well-shite bunch:

You don't get anything for a pair....

....not in this game! But it's birding, and the great Viet-cram v Big Waters competition and not Play Your Cards Right. So a point to the home team for two of these: And a patch Lifer too!

Gimme a G....

G. Gimme another G. G. Rain stopped play, so after an early tea and the day's precipitation ceased, it was off out. Wessie H first and still a tad of an 'in yer face' breeze. The usual gulls on the water, a few Teal too, and wading through the water near the west shore, a Redshank. No year ticks so far. However, scanning the shore to the north had a napping Greenshank. Belter! Off to Arcot, and as the afternoon matured, the numbers of Sand Martins increased, along with a few Swallows. No year ticks so far here either! Some well-fresh Pied Wags on the horse-decimated SSSI field, and then a pair of duck low from SE to NW, one like a mini-Greylag in terms of light wing flashes and after webbed-foot and water met, voila, a drake Garganey. Its companion was not a female. In the words of the late, great, Big Daddy, 'Easy! Easy! Easy!'.