Patch Gold

New birds still coming in to the patch, star bird today was 2 Goldfinches feeding on thistles along the side of a track - proper scarce at Scatness. Around the rest of the patch, Red-breasted Flycatcher (still in the garden), 3 Blackcap, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Redwing, 1 Robin, 2 Swallows, 3 Wheatear, 1 Jack Snipe and a rather showy Short-eared Owl. Another bird of note was the male Pintail x Mallard hybrid has returned.

Goldfinch

Mallard/Pintail Hybrid

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Short-eared Owl

Wheatear

Dipsomania

Spent half the day dipping the Eastern Orphean Warbler that was at Loch of Benston yesterday, the day was salvaged somewhat with the Brown Shrike at nearby Voe.
Back on the patch late afternoon and a few new birds in - Red-breasted Flycatcher (in the garden), 1 Swallow, 3 Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wheatear, 1 Chiffchaff and a Yellow-browed Warbler.

Brown Shrike

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Yellow-browed Warbler

RBF

So being as it was blowing a 50mph southerly gale, I thought that I would head out onto the 'Island' for a seawatch, besides hundreds of Gannets, after 3 hours all I had seen was 15 Black-tailed Godwits, so I headed back home. I had already checked the garden a few times this morning - 1 Goldcrest and a female Blackcap, so I wasn't expecting much when I checked it again, and there in front of the kitchen window - Red-breasted Flycatcher, the 3rd record for the garden and only the 4th I've seen at Scatness.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Black-tailed Godwits

Thrushes

Back inside Bharatpur again and still looking for the more elusive species. First stop was the nursery for some Thrushes, a good plan that went awry when I flushed two Dusky Eagle Owls from a nearby Kadam tree but, despite best efforts, I couldn't get anywhere near them without re-flushing them. But, back to Thrushes and a bit of a wait until Tickell's Thrush gave itself up by a leaking water pipe closely followed by an Orange-headed Thrush and another Tickell's.

Next up was Siberian Rubythroat, one had been spending much of it's time in a gully by the checkpost but was really elusive, I was going to give a bit of time to this but there was no need as it showed itself after a few minutes (speaking to another birder later who had spent 4 hours there and still hadn't seen it !), plus the added bonus of a roosting Collared Scops' Owl in the same area.

It was now time to head for the Temple tea stall, not for anything in particular, I was just running low on water. I couldn't resist a few shots of a very showy Red-breasted Flycatcher on the way. Water bought and tea drank and time to check the drainage channel for the unlikely chance of a Bittern or two and bingo.... juv Black Bittern about 10 feet away.

And that was the day over, with the addition of a few jaunts into the Acacia scrub and more open areas (mainly for photos of Indian Jackal).

Black Bittern

Bank Myna

Indian Jackal

Orange-headed Thrush

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Red Avadavat

Siberian Rubythroat

Tickell's Thrush

White-eared Bulbul

 

Garden Purple Patch 2013

A few choice birds from the garden in 2013 -
Blyth's Reed Warbler - Present from the 21st to the 24th September -

Subalpine Warbler - Present on 28th May - 

Red-breasted Flycatcher # 1 - Present on 28th May with the Subalp.

Red-breasted Flycatcher # 2 - Present from 2nd - 3rd October.

Gull-billed Tern - Although not in the garden, I did get it on the house list by 'scoping it from the garage roof - present around Loch of Gards, on and off, from 27th to 31st July.

Just Like Buses

Having moved in to this house way back in 2003 and immediately planting the garden up, it took 10 years to get a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the garden with one in May this year, last night at 6:30 ish, another one turned up and spent all day today in the garden sheltering from the gales. Also in the garden today - a Song Thrush, 2 Robins, 2 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and a Common Whitethroat.

Top Garden Day

A quick look around the garden at eight this morning, and all there was, was a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. Headed out to do the patch at the back of nine, had another quick look around the garden, now a female Subalpine Warbler there ! After spending an hour or so trying to get some photos, went off and did the rest of the patch, despite walking all the walls, cliffs and gardens - nothing ! Got back to the house and had a quick look for the Subalp again, still present but a bit skulky, but now a Red-breasted Flycatcher bouncing around the lawn -  garden tick ! (the Subalp wasn't).

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Subalpine Warbler