Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Ok sorry for the slow updates on the bird sightings but i'm currently on nights at the general hospital! Any way I'm off to Shetland for nine days this weekend, and if we find anything good I will try and put the news out ASAP!? This year I will be staying at Cunningsburgh with Mr Green, Mr Hagley and Mr Potts and this year we will be ringing in the garden! (The target species this year will be  Yellow-browed Warbler in the hand). Also thanks to Mark Skev for letting me know that I had forgotten to include 3 species on my city list. So now my city list stands at 117 species. The latest bird to be put on the list was a brief Turtle Dove over Watermead CP South whilst vis-migging from the Mammoth with Mr Hague on the 18th.

Music to listen too in the wee small hours!

Great song from the more talented Gallagher brother!

Following a report from Spurn bird observatory yesterday evening of 20,000+ Meadow Pipits migrating south!! I was up at the Mammoth viewpoint, Watermead CP South from 7.00am. Well over the two hours I was at the viewpoint I had a good movement of Meadow Pipits(182 birds),Swallows and Martins. However the highlight of the early morning was of 2 Common Swifts slowly drifting south around 8.00am! The full count can be seen at: http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&land=5&site=0&datum=20110914&taal=2

Here is a few photos of the Juvenile Arctic Tern at Watermead CP South.

Over the last week I have added another species for the City year list in the form of two sightings of a couple of Ravens (113) over Watermead CP South and Birstall Meadows. Other birds of note over the last week at Watermead have included two twitchable Arctic Terns (Adult and Juvenile) and a brief flock of 7 Ruffs on the island yesterday (These birds were later relocated on the Rectory marsh at Cossington Meadows LRWT). With the weather looking good for Seabirds over the next few days I will try and check the Soar Valleys sites on a regular basis hoping for a sighting of a Sabine's Gull or even a Skua sp!?   Photos of the Adult Arctic Tern! And finally I am counting down the days until my annual trip to Shetland (19days from today!), and this year I will be staying in Cunningsburgh.