A little bit of patch

Just for a change you know. It is autumn after all, which should mean goodies. I joined Tony and Bob in the SSSI, with Nick having a hangover in Forest Gate. It was good immediately, with a Spotted Flycatcher and my first Pied of the year in the limes. They're ultra-reliable these days for some reason, never a question of if but always of when. There had been a couple of birds in the week whilst I had been sunning myself in Canary Wharf, so it was pleasing to get presumably one of them flitting around the copse.

Back in the main broom fields one Whinchat became two after a bit of a stake-out, and eagle-eyed Tony pulled out a Redstart and Wheatear in quick succession. Plenty of support too with a stealth Garden Warbler in the Enclosure, and stacks of Chiffies bouncing around. All run of the mill over here in Wanstead of course, but a timely reminder that this is one of the best, if not the best migrant trap in London, and time of year is prime, now and for the next few weeks.

As far as I can tell I am on the patch for most of September, with few if any jaunts planned, so as long as I can motivate myself to get out of bed then I'm in with a chance. Mind you, post Nixit I may simply be worn into the ground with my paltry hours on the Flats totally eclipsed by solid 12 hour days of observations and discoveries, causing much gnashing of teeth, angst, and ultimately despair and abandonment. Glass half full as they say.