Pumped for the weekend

My professional life has seen a tumultuous two weeks. High stress, long hours. You can probably guess why. Yes, that's right. The stream of conciousness spouting from a certain person in the United States of America has made recent weeks a misery. I have good coping mechanisms though, in particular birding. If I can get an hour or so out on Wanstead Flats before I head to work then I face it in an upbeat frame of mind. Birding is permanent, this lunacy will pass.

Egyptian Goose. Lovely.

I've missed just one day, and whilst on many of the days I've perhaps not seen a great deal it has been immensely helpful for my mental health. That is if I am allowed to even mention mental health these days, this and many other emminently sensible approaches to wellbeing and basic humanity seem to be on the retreat in this brave new world. 

Anyway, of all the recent days Tuesday and today have been the best. Tuesday was grim, constant rain that became a fine mist until at least lunch time, and it was no surprise that a Ring Ouzel dropped in. Found by hardier birders than myself, I tend not to go out in heavy rain, but by late morning it was starting to clear and knowing it would still be around I went out to look for it. I jammed it more or less immediately as it flew from one area of cover to another. My 46th on the patch, I couldn't quite believe it when this statistic popped up. The murk also landed a couple of Wheatear, and my day was enlivened by a steady stream of Swallows passing more or less over my house as I manfully attended call after call.

Wheatear

Wednesday was less exciting, a single Sand Martin battling against the breeze and being blown east when I suspect it had north in mind. Fast forward to this morning and Bob found a Nightingale singing in Motorcycle Wood. I was with James on the other side of the road talking about whether we would get a Nightingale this year. Turns out "yes" was the more or less instant answer. It was my 6th - the first was in 2013 but all the others have been in the last five years, a rare instance of an uptick in numbers. I wasn't able to see it as it sang from thick cover, but I very much enjoyed it. To say I am pumped for the long weekend ahead is an understatement.

No, I am not obsessed with Parakeets, why do you ask?