The Pied Piper

Birding. It is awesome. Today has been coming for a while as the incessant Westerlies abated momentarily giving way to a blinding few days of sun, breeding birds and tropical Farnes before today plunged into a southeasterly chill that dropped birds right from the off with what I thought would be today star bird, oh how I was wrong!

What a cracker! And real scarcity on the Farnes...a fall was on there and then!

From there on in the birds continued dropping with the classic Farnes 'midday syndrome' falls as birds were only really apparent from late morning as Common Sandpiper, 2 Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whinchat, Greenland Wheatear and Chiifchaff and Willow Wblr all became apparent:

 

Goldfinch feeling ropey...

 

Farnes views of Blackcap...

 

Another classic combo

 

The atmosphere of falls is just amazing...!

 

Garden Warbler's ass

After visitor work was well as truly rained off further rounds produced a another Whinchat and more Blackcap as the fog thickened, rolling like the silent stragglehold across the Farnes, so call me a masochist, as it felt good! Until a phone call. It brought news of my dream bird, a male Collared Flycatcher, barely spitting distance down the coast. Luckily thoughts swiftly moved from 'why not the Farnes!!' to 'Get me off this island!'...a surreal and heady mix of fall adrenalin and utter twitch driven despair. At this point I began another round of the island, spurred by the nearby mega, though also resigned to a 'I wish I could see this bird' sense of wanting. Then a black and white flycatcher flew up....

Phwaar! Nothing like a Pied Flycatcher to help you forget about a Collared just down the road. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Somehow, somewhere, a climatic variation meant suddenly visibility improved, I donned a life jacket, hurriedly made my way to the 2nd mega in as many weeks, and well. WE BLOODY SAW IT1 Mind-blowing retinal lubricating demi-crippler. Feast upon my shite record shots:

 

Wow. Just. I mean. Oh dear give me a minute. Wow. Best ficedula EVER.

More southesterlies tomorrow, are YOU ready?