Night Night

Im a tired bunny at present. The alarm was set for 3.45 and I was on site in North Lincs by 4.55. The dawn chorus was plesent but a little limited...best bits were a Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Yellow Wagtail and a couple of Reed Warblers. The rest was pretty pants although I found possible breeding Buzzards with them mewing over a wood. News of the Red-rumpers in Hull & Rotherham were galling (especially as I dipped the Rother bird the other day). No Avocets were noticed on the pools with a paltry 64 Black-tailed Godwits in the roost. The low to high tide WeBs was crap with the highlight being the Blackwits decamping mid tide leaving one hanging on all morning. A quick nip into immingham got me the WORST Bacon Sarnie/Coffee combo in the world. Mud flavour and leather texture. Ming ming ming.

After the survey I decided to head to Whisby to try and catch up with Nightingale as I missed the BF meet last month. I wasnt hopeful as it was mid afternoon. I jammed in on the first lake on 3 Arctic Terns which had cleared off by the time I returned leaving only the resident Common Terns. Warblers were dripping from every bush...first up my first views this year of Garden Warbler plus awesome views of Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff & Whitethroat but no Nightingale. There were no Turtle Doves at the crossing and a lack of Hobbies whilst skywatching but I managed all THREE species of hirundine plus Swifts and 2 Buzzards. I had walked every path and was pissed off despite two year ticks. 1 hour 50 minutes had passed. I had ten minutes. A loop path had a Song Thrush singing from undergrowth and looked promising. Fuck it lets cut to the chase -I was mega fucked off and then 2 minutes before I left from under my feet JUB-JUB-JUB and then it showed like a porn star. Nightingale. I even tried to digibin it with my mobile phone. Absolute failure but it illustrates how well this baby was showing until it pushed off to the floor where barely visible it sang its heart out. A well overdue lifer after the 5 second view at flamboro a couple of springs ago. The LRP after could go swing for my money.

Unfortunatly there is a postscript - I just had a doctors appointment and it looks likely that I have torn the cartillage in my shoulder and I may need an operation. Booooo!