One tedious ride avoided

Mandarins (120) are rare at Blashford - I've only ever seen them once before here. But an early morning walk turned up a male on Ivy Lake! That saves me a single-species ride to Eyeworth Pond (where I dipped back in February anyway), and improves my 2km percentage. Cashback.

All in a day's work

Having spent 9 back-breaking hours working away at this kind of thing on Saturday...

... I decided to "do an Oscar" on Sunday i.e. get up at stupid-o'clock and drive 200+ miles west to the border (in my case, just over it!) for a spot of wanton twitching. I'm not proud that I succumbed to the temptation of a cracking male Common Yellowthroat... though I'm quite pleased that I managed to play it very cool - it was found 5 weeks and 3 days earlier - and happier still that I managed scope views!

Made the most a day's carbon-twitching by taking in some other goodies afterwards: a smart and typically tame male Lesser Scaup, an educational Spotted Sandpiper at point blank range, (yet) a(nother) Great White Egret (bettered by the world's showiest Bittern, quite frankly!), all washed down with not 1 but 2 Long-billed Dowitchers!

Anyway back to work today, an even lower-key lunchtime trundle on the bike (didn't even warrant the odometer!) and an afore-mentioned Gruffalo-eyed wader OML (117).

Percentage of target to date - 75%

Distance cycled - 210.3mls / 338.4km

Latest addition - Stone-curlew (117) 26 Mar

A classic Forest morning PROVES Hampshire is best

 

Up at dawn and away into a chuffing cold Forest morning - but massive rewards awaited! I pushed right through to Bolderwood and Mark Ash Wood, scoring early and heavily with several singing Firecrests (114), some flyover calling Hawfinches (115), seven Crossbills and the major target bird for today, two drumming and moderately photogenic Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (116).

Feeling nigh on priapic with success....



....I returned via stacks of Redpolls and Siskins over the plantations, a Curlew (117) back on its regular bog by Slufter's Inclosure, stacks of singing Woodlarks and displaying Buzzards, a Dartford Warbler (118 - rather overdue!) at Broomy Plain, and a Snipe (119) in the mire near Tom's Lane. And the three Little Gulls were (surprisingly) still present at Ibsley Water - though still no LRP....

Beat that, you eastern gits!