Garden today

Still quite a few butterflies around outside, c5 Red Admiral, 2 Small Tortoiseshell. Goldfinch on the Niger feeder, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker but didn't make much of an effort - drinking coffee in the sunshine and cooking lasagne.

Common Darter

Here's a Common darter from today.

Scaling Dam on a sunny day

The reservoir this morning from the Yorkshire end. Light was v difficult from the hide (down the other end, behind the left end of the yachts). Not much to see either, Mute Swan, 2 were newish, only 9 Wigeon, 49 Teal, 1 Pochard, Lots of Common darter again. Unusual numbers of GB-b Gulls, c70 and 200 herring Gulls but the light made working through them v hard and anyway they mostly flew off (as usual) soon after i got in the hide.

Inverts today

A Speckled Wood in Golf Course Ravine + some large and as yet unidentified hawkers ... Common hawker at a guess

Today's birds

The morning started with 16 Goldfinch at home and a likely but distant Siskin.

Two Skylarks going high, west over the church at 9 ish, at least 2 House Martins around the West Cliff streets at lunchtime and a reported raptor in the playground in the afternoon savaging a small bird (presume Sparrowhawk - savaging) all made for an eventful work day.

After work 5 - 6 Golf Course Ravine produced Chiffchaff, 2; Blackcap, 1; a small influx of Blackbirds and Robins and a couple of Goldcrests. Offshore 2 or 3 Sanwich Terns lingered, a kittiwake and a couple of Gannets. The fields around the ravine and flyovers included Yellow Wagtail, only about 12 alba wags which didn't gather for a roost there and a couple of mepits. 150 or Bl-h Gulls were on the fairways with c10 argenteus as I left.

Weather was calm, after heavy rain earlier in the pm. The passerines in the ravine favoured the sunny east side, near the seaside end.

All a bit egocentric .....

... but the blog appears to be working. A considerable improvement on the previous effort. Now, why does the whole thing only show when I click the refresh button, perhps it will work better tomorrow??? And it's a bit of a faff adding links. Those other ones look loads better, no time for refinement.

This is me

This is a photo of us after we'd seen otter and 4 Minke Whales, Mull, July 2006

Unidentified Gull at Scaling Dam August 06

The gull front, left is most likely a Herring Gull but i couldn't be sure. Seen at Scaling Dam on several occasions in August 2006. Thanks to Brett for help with the id. I'm no good at this digiscoping lark, thus blurry.

27th September 2006

Late afternoon visit to the golf course ravine. High tide and a fresh south-easterly strengthening from 3-4. At home at 18:30 the wind was WSW 5-6, so there was either a rapid change or different conditions on the coast. 17:20 - 18:00

Two new species for the patch, Long-tailed Tits 4 in the ravine with the Blue Tit flock and a Mallard called from near the caravan site across the road. Also of note Goldcrest, 2; Chiffchaff, 1; Grey Wagtail, 1 over; Alba Wag, 32 and a Bullfinch again.