More patch firsts and more !........ Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th

This weekend I decided to work my local patch, incorporating a bit of much needed walking along the way. Arriving on set around 8 am Saturday the first highlight of the weekend was picking up 4 Cormorants flying east. This was a patch lifer for me and a great start. The set aside field I was viewing at the time held a very large Goldfinch flock with many juvs, seems to have been a good year for this species. A Chiffchaff, of which I saw plenty this weekend , was knocking around with them.
I noted my first Mistle Thrushes for a while too amongst all the other usual suspects.
The second highlight of the morning came just as I was leaving. A portion of  the summer resident Swallow population was being hawked by a Hobby.  The bird was twisting and turning just a few yards in front of me affording amazing views for a few seconds, no bins were needed to see it's eye and mask..fantastic ! With other commitments that afternoon that was it for the patch Saturday...or so I thought...
Around 6pm I had a call from Terry H who had had a Whinchat earlier not far from where I had seen the Cormorants flyover. I had never seen a Whinchat on my local patch, and took up the offer for a quick meet up to see the bird. Fortunately it was still there, a stunningly smart young bird that showed well in the scope.As I would have spooked it approaching from that side, I didn't risk a picture.
Next morning I revisited the Whinchat site, approaching from the other direction, along a Public right of way. Sadly the bird had moved on.There were in its place a few Linnets.

Linnet

Things were about to pick up though. Terry H was just a few hundred yards down the road, across the patch border in Woodrow. He informed me he had a Spotted Flycatcher ! Like a rat up a drainpipe I was with him within a couple of minutes and as we watched the bird perform, it became evident this was a family party..and soon we identified 3 individuals. The icing on the cake was being able to get a few record shots as one popped down onto a stump right in front of us. I couldn't help but wander if this was the same family party that had been on my patch a couple of weeks ago ?

Spotted Flycatcher

I returned across the border back into official patch territory and undertook a circuitous walk. With the sun threatening an appearance, I cast an eye to to the inverts. Firstly of note was a Holly Blue. There have been good numbers on my patch, but this one got my attention as it was occasionally opening its wings, affording a rare chance to see and photograph the lovely colour in the wing.

Female Holly Blue

A few yards to the right I spotted what I thought was a Common Blue. It's wings were closed. As it flitted about I refined this to a female, having the brown wings. Common Blues have been rarer than hens teeth this year, so I was pleased to get a sighting. However as I got a better look I began to think it could be a Brown Argus. Of course it now showing its underwing for me to record, but I got excellent views of the upper wing. On getting home I was delighted to confirm Brown Argus, a female , a patch lifer and in fact my first Brown Argus of the Year..result !

Brown Argus (female)

Also noted were Migrant hawker, Brown Hawker and Common Darter, the latter of the three the only one to pose for me.

Common Darter