Garden first, dodgy geese and a lost bonxie...

I think the decorating at BSHQ is almost complete, and the removal of sticky duct tape from the floor edges earned me sufficient credit to have a quick trip north this afternoon.

The "action" began before I departed, with a peregrine soaring above the garden - a first

Time was limited, so I took the easy option - go and look at some white geese in a flock of pink-feet and grey lags. The four snow geese were relatively easy to find, feeding in stubble west of the north pool. Not entirely sure of their credentials, especially as three bar-headed were present too!

Some ruff flew in and joined the melee, while rather more bizarrely, AC and I were treated to a inland bound great skua  ~ flying steadily wnw until lost to view. Where was it going?!

Busy!

Decorating almost complete. I may get out birding again at some point. It's been an amazing September nationally, though none of it in reach for me...

Armchair Sometimes

Even with the pressures of overtime and home improvement, the rares keep dropping in and today I added another species to my BOU UK list. Sounds great, but boringly it was a bird from 2005 that makes an uneventful addition to the list - siberian stonechat...

This bird was seen and photographed in the south-west at Porthgwarra, Cornwall on 7th October 2005, en route to Scilly. We'd had a second look at the long staying long-billed dowitcher residing nearby at Drift Reservoir (keeping company with a dapper spotted redshank) prior to our visit, and by mid afternoon had connected with a blackpoll warbler on the Garrison, St Marys IOS. Great days!!!

Overworkedwetpaintedandunderbirded

Life remains complicated, with ovetime at work to tempting to miss, and home improvements in progress...

Managed a quick cycle to West Hartford last night, where hundreds of common gull bathed prior to roost. Lesser numbers of bh, h and lbbg accompanied them, but none of the hope for little or med could be picked up.

1 greenshank dropped in briefly, while a single female type wheatear lifted from the path as I made my way back to HQ.

With the sharpie in Teesside (last years bird returning?), things are looking up. Just need to get Saturdays shift at work out the way and home furnishings back into newly painted rooms before birding can re-commence....