you Swine!

Had a trip back to Swine Moor on Montag after visiting t'old garage in Hull. Got some storming White Wags, a few Swift for the year and a UK lifer in the form of a couple of Wood Sandpiper. Also a Whimbrel was nice plus a few Yellow Wags including one thatlooked like a female Blue-headed/ Channel wag. Sexcellent.

Aberdont!

Had a good survey on the conntrol site with Arctic and Great Skua, loadsa Kits, 3 species of Tern and rather incongruously another 3 Carrion Crows headed out to sea. Also a probable Manxie which i cocked up (was distant). Also got some spanking shots of the Glauc on Saturday evening and a few semi decent ones of a male Wheatear but i will have to see whether I get them back from IECS before I post em.

Blog Linkage - Darren Ward

Here is a link to the cracking Yorkshire Wandering Tattler blog by Darren Ward's crew. Its all good tyke fun including shots from a top notch birder (thats what he told me to say). Definitely check it out!

Jockland

Up in Aberdeen on survey being paid to do some pelagic birding. Such a hardship. Not a great survey yesterday. 3 crows headed toward Norway 3 miles out plus a few sum.plum Red-throats and a couple of Black-throats. Loadsa dolphins, RB Merg, LT Duck, a possible petrel underneath a feeding scrum and a migrating Swallow.

Also went to Girdle Ness where I caught up with the local Glauc and a few Wheatears, Purp Sands and Rock Pipits but no King Eider unlike off Flamboro Head (GRRR!!). Right off to go searching again!

Lovely Legs

I knew when one of the first birds I saw was a Mistle Thrush at Wheldrake today was going to be good. Didn't see the GW Teal or any Garganey but did add Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Blackcap. Scoping the pool in the gloom I notice a brilliantly coloured Duck in the distance. 20 minutes later and the mist had risen enough to be sure of a male Mandarin, lifer, yorks tick, patch tick, any old tick you like!I zoomed off to Bishop Burton to do some research before heading onto the Yellowlegs. Met Birdieboy123 at Swine Moor and he quickly located the bird. It gave decent views in the rain running around a Redshank for comparison. Also at this site a Greenshank, LRP and Ruff collected year ticks with Yellow Wagtail and summer dress Golden Plover providing entertainment.At this point I decided to go for broke and head to Spurn. went straight to the point where a break in the weather led to a chat spectacular with Common Redstart (a beautiful male), Black Redstart (dowdy female) and numerous Wheatear provided the entertinment. Lots of Willowchiffs about but not the hoped for Rouzels. As I was walking near the middle Heligoland trap a heron with a bobbing flight approached heading south. The weather had again closed in and visibility was poor so my initial thought was Bittern. As it came into view it showed an obvious keel and started to quack. My mind shot straight back to Spain and Purple Heron. It kept coming and passed over me giving good views at about 25m height - almost definitely a Purple Heron. A look for the Garganey at Canal Scrape and the GW Teal at Long bank were forlorn but hey who cares. It was a stormer!

Root Canal

Now I alluded to my teeth in an earlier post but I feel I must now relive the entire wonder that is my birthday weekend from the viewpoint of my upper right incisors 1 & 2.

'James has his birthday on Saturday' says incisor 1.

Incisor 2 replies, 'Its alright, I'm starting with an abcess at my base, he wont be doing any drinking this weekend.'

'Great, I think I will join the party and develop a gum infection' incisor 1 says knowingly.

Well the bastards didn't stop me drinking but a lack of hangover on Sunday indicates they perhaps had an effect on things. I didn't use to be scared of the dentist until a mad, bad and dangerous fella gave me fillings with no anaesthetic when I was about 16. It fucking killed. Id been brewing with toothache for a while but I figured it'd pass especially as I have no NHS dentist. So when I had to stop at Market Weighton on my way home last thursday because I physically couldnt drive without further painkillers the penny finally dropped that I may need an appointment. Friday and the emergency dentist laughed and said I had no chance getting in today.

Booked in for first thing on my birthday. Get there sat in chair and the dentist mentions that I have a gum infection to my relief. Then he taps my tooth. I scream. He says some of the scariest shit Ive ever heard - 'thats not good - I think we need an X-ray.'

In the end he drilled my tooth out (with anaesthetic), drained the abcess and I was feeling distintly unwell and looking like a hamster. Got home with that stroke victim look caused by the anaesthetic and took some phone calls from my parents and siblings wishing happy birthday. My wife bless her told me to 'shut the fuck up, i'm sleeping'. Now I feel this is a little unsensitive as she had all week told me stop being a big wimp and that there was nothing wrong. And there was. And it was my birthday. And she was being a bitch.

Went out on the lash and came home at 11pm. After 4 pints. Weak.

Black Lark - no chance

Car was in for MOT today (it failed) so no chance of going for the Norfolk crippler. Instead a leisurely un back home after uni was rudely interrupted by two Red Kites away from their regular haunt. One passed over me by about 6 foot. Was almost scary. At North Cave a quick trundle relised a few site and year ticks - 2 Whimbrel with Curlew were nice (both site ticks), plus a few Yellow wags bouncing round the fields. A Tree Pipit popped its head out of the grass to entertain me showing its 'ear spot' and big thick bill. Still no LRP. Apparently one bugged out as I arrived. Checked the gulls for reported meds but no luck. Also a couple of LBBG about and loadsa Avopigs. I LOVE SPRING. Off to Aberdeen on thurs which is nice!