Having a chat

Two different chats this week. Firstly a chat with the top Beds listers at the Barred Warbler twitch Saturday morning, only my second Beds twitch of the year following Glossy Ibis. I had not intended to be out Saturday as it was my wedding anniversary and I had committed to staying home...mmm. Secondly, a jump on the Stonechat bandwagon with the discovery of a group of three at Brogborough Tip on a Sunday morning scout around some pits (all three pictured). Great to see these are back in force after some barren years, only found one individual in both of the last two years.

Waiting for the autumn big one

Poking around Pegsdon Hills area again looking for something with an "I've been to Spurn" anklet. Just the usual unfortunately. To maintain the image quality on the blog, here is a hand-held, declining evening light, phone-binned Whinchat from mid-week as there was nothing suitable to snap today.

Retrospective Ruff

As there appear to be new rules, I am going to shamelessly claim the Broom GLE Ruff as self-found, as 'according to my sources' no one had seen it for at least ten minutes. Also, can anyone say with 100% certainty that it was the same bird? ;-)

Yours, tongue-in-cheekily, D

Chat double

Looked at the cracking Yellow Wag flock on Biggy Common this lunchtime - its up around the 55 birds mark!  As I was there I thought I'd just check the fencelines for errant chats.  BOOM!  A Whinchat and a Stonechat together.  Nice.  I think I can claim the Whinchat as 'new' as none have been see there for the last couple of days according to my sources.

Whin' and 'Grin

After quite a few short dips into suitable habitat over two weeks, a Whinchat finally came my way at Sandy Smith. They seem to have been hard this year and those found on the hills near Luton seem to be around field hedgerows rather than on the fences, slopes and dips themselves where I have found them previously and where I have been peeking in short spells before and after work. Also expected each year, a Peregrine on a pylon near Streatley was the first I have found this year, all other sightings relating to the Stewartby "chimney" birds. Other than Med Gull, I am now running out of targets so it's all down to the right place, the right time and watching the weather forecast for the run-in.

MR and PT

Scored a couple more with SCB this lunchtime. A f Marsh Harrier over Broom and an eclipse drake pintail at GLE. Steve trying here to phonescope a flying raptor...

Even blind squirrels eventually find a nut...

... especially if they are searching for between 7-10 hours per day. Deepdale Quarry, Potton, 03-Sept
Curlew	1
Black-headed Gull	2
Lesser Black-backed Gull	1
Stock Dove	2
Woodpigeon	88
Collared Dove	3
Green Woodpecker	6
Great Spotted Woodpecker	3
Magpie	9
Jackdaw	29
Rook	19
Carrion Crow	11
Goldcrest	7
Blue Tit	52
Great Tit	43
Coal Tit	10
Swallow	9
Long-tailed Tit	17
Chiffchaff	3
Blackcap	11
Whitethroat	10
Treecreeper	1
Wren	10
Starling	2
Blackbird	22
Song Thrush	5
Spotted Flycatcher	1
Robin	32
Whinchat	1
Dunnock	18
Chaffinch	35
Bullfinch	3
Greenfinch	12
Linnet	4
Goldfinch	91