The End?

I realise that this blog has become a little stale in its writing. I was going to put recently but that would be a lie. Probably since I became a dad and I started working at Hull University. Thankfully I have had some pretty awesome wildlife adventures both professionally and personally to provide material but this will not go on. This is the end of the old ornithological idiocy. And its rebirth. I promise to try harder if you will dear reader (thanks Phil!). I will try ot to make this an A-Z of what birding I'm doing but a labour of love as when I started. I mean who can beat such a puntastic blog post header as 'Shag In Benidorm'? I may even be proud of other elements of the blog but at present I can't remember these. Plus if I keep mentioning small black pelicaniformes and valencian versions of Blackpool I can keep myself high in the list of things that appear when you google shag and benidorm. Or sex and benidorm or any of the other key words I have hidden around the blog to improve traffic. Transvestite Lesbian Dwarf Sex. Dammit that was meant to be hidden. So in the spirit of the Ornithological Idiocy Improvement Campaign or OIIK lets begin.

Lets talk calidrids. There are two currently bimbling about the Humber estuary that are currently of maximum interest. This morning with every intention of diverting the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper left Patrington and I diverted to work (I say diverted, I mean kept going as they both require visiting Kingston-upon-Hell, however briefly). Obviously as soon as I got the work PC fired up I was treated to news of the birds movement along the Spurn peninsula. This particularly hurts as John Sadler, whom I was gassing to at the birdfair managed to score last night. Nicht sehre gut. The last 'Sharpie' was in a similar place three years ago, as I was starting to twitch. The blow then was softened by finding a Great Shearwater the next day. I am unlikely to find a Great Shear tomorrow BUT I am surveying around Killingholme Pits and am thus in the game for a good bird. Some decent shots of the aforementioned Sandpiper are on the following link:

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=1907690&postcount=11564

In addition to this, the Semi-palmated Sandpiper has been pinned down to another work site - Alkborough Flats (we work on most of the realignment sites on the Humber). This seems to be sticking and will hopefully be about tomorrow for a quick homage.

My real birding was limited today to THE Turtle Dove. I saw the bird on the way to work (after a week) so was ready with the work camera on the way back. Only its not the Turtle Dove - its three Turtle Doves. Here is the best I managed of the middle bird. The first was so scrunched up it was terible and the third flew quickly.

Turtle Dove - Hutton Cranswick

Note the jaunty angle due to shooting from an open car window from below.

The second to last item on the agenda is to update the links. I would like to thank Pete Mella for his glowing recommendation on Steel City Birding. This site is a charmer from keen birder and regular contributor to the birding glossies. Another from South Yorkshire is Birding Frontiers by the Frontiersman himself Martin Garner. You will learn something from his blog! Lastly for now is Reservoir Catz. You have probably read this over and over. It takes up exactly where McKinney left off all those years ago. Coincidence? You decide. By reading it. Lots.

Lastly I would like to make a full and public apology for calling Hobbies also rans. They are the best birds bar none. I love em.