Waders???

After almost a month of in activity on the patch, mainly due to laziness and chasing endemics in Sri Lanka I finally made it out again on Monday to try and climb off the bottom of the table, which has now been completed for January and looks like this:

Yellowcraig 69pts
Ely 62pts
Aberlady 59pts
Girdleness 59pts
Hopton 55pts

Having seen one Redshank and bugger all else on the wader front through January I was suprised to return to the patch and find waders everywhere (ok, maybe not everywhere but there were 11 in total). Firstly, a Ringed Plover flew past along the beach, swiftly followed by a Redshank. On the cliff top a large flock (6) of Oystercatchers was busily feeding on the poor attempt at a pitch and putt course. Two Purple Sandpipers then flew north just out at sea and finally a Turstone was on the beach briefly before flying south. A lone Fulmar was also out at sea. With 5 ticks and shit weather I almost turned and left but the rain eased and I headed for the sewage works. The usual mix of Skylarks, Jays, Green Woodpeckers, Tits was joined by a wee flock of thrushes, consisting of 4 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing and a Fieldfare. A flock of 6 Lesser Redpolls busily fed near the sewage works pond. The old railway line was very quiet but a Firecrest made a brief appearance. Finally, as I walked along the cliffs on the way home 2 Shelducks were flying south out at sea! A ten tick day!!! That leaves me on 59 species (68pts).

January Totals.....

As January ended another patch was added to the league. Enter Fat Paul Scholes and the infamously shit patch that is Girdleness. Most of us in the league have had many a bad experience at the 'ness'!
Girdleness Local Patch
The final week of January produced bugger all new in Hopton/Corton so I decided to take a look at yet another plastic looking goose, this time a Ross's goose amongst a couple thousands Pinkies at Haddiscoe. Suprisingly there was 20+ people twitching this when I got there so left pretty quickly and had a walk along the river. On the way back 7 Waxwings dropped onto bushes near our car, a nice suprise and far nicer than the goose.
Waxwing, St Olaves

And now onto the most important part, the league table:

1. Yellowcraig 69pts
2. Ely 62pts
3. Girdleness 59pts
4. Hopton 55pts
5. Aberlady LL