The Love of Patching!

For the last couple of weeks, birding has been focused on the patch, so that my patch total for the year has the greatest chance of increasing as much as possible.

The first Little-ringed Plovers came in on the 6th April, with 3 present up to a week ago...

The first Swallow was also on the 6th, with the first 2 singing Blackcaps on the 7th. The first Willow Warbler was in at Wildwood on the 10th too. The first Nightingales were singing on the 15th along with the first Whitethroat and House Martins...

The first Sand Martins were feeding on the 19th, with Garden Warblers and the first possible 'Greenland' Wheatear was present on the 21st...

The first singing Lesser Whitethroat was present at Wildwood on the 22nd, and the first calling Tawny Owl, Hobby, Greenshank and Redshank on the 24th.

Redshank record shot

Then, a very productive 'tour' around the patch with David Walsh produced Sedge Warbler (scarce on patch), Cuckoo, Reed Warbler and Swift on he 26th. 

On the 29th April, my luck was in as I found a cracking Yellow Wagtail. All the following shots are phone-scoped.

A good record was a Red Kite over Brewery Farm, Earl Stonham the Saturday just gone, and first my returning Spotted Flycatcher came back to the usual wood by my school on yesterday.

Bird of the month so far though was undoubtedly today, as I was walking out from school, a pair of Sandwich Terns passed over flying north! That's an incredible record for the patch, and takes my total to 103 species. That is already 3 more than my total last year!

Happy Birding (and patching)!

Isle of Mull - Day 2

Today, our target bird was Wood Warbler, and Ardura Oak Woodland near Croggan was the place.We started with about 4 Great Northern Diver on Loch Scridain.

A nice flock of Razorbill were on the loch, obviously in from the sea. Still plenty of Hoody's and Willow Warblers about, and about 3 Common Terns were fishing. 3 Tree Pipit shew well, as did both Eagle species at the respected sites. 

White-tailed Eagle

A House Martin was collecting mud...

A Hoody was also about

We got to Ardura, and we could already here the trilling of Wood Warbler. It wasn't long before we located it.

Wood Warbler

We then got Spotted Flycatcher onto the year list...

Driving along side Loch Spelve, we got good views of inshore Black Guillemot and Gannet.

Black Guillemot

Gannet

A Wheatear also shew well in a roadside field

We then went down to Loch Buie, and that produced up to 5 Red-throated Divers, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers and 5 Eider. Also, a very tame Chaffinch was walking right past your feet!!!

Happy Birding!

Another New Hirundine!

A Bike ride around my nature trail produced 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Yellowhammer, and great views of a House Martin. Another House Martin was present over Edgecomb Road, Stowmarket.

Great to hear that a Black Kite was seen over Stowmarket yesterday, and a Red Kite was over stowupland hall today. I was about 300 yards fromthe hall, typical!

Happy Birding!