Just got back from a boat survey off Wales, amazing didn't hear anyone singing all week!!

Managed a couple of hours at South Stack one day and had a smart drake Ring Ouzel, it was getting kicked about by the local Blackbirds which surprised me, I thought they'd be more aggresive. Also there were about a dozen phyloscs, mostly Willow Warblers but a couple of Chiffs and an obvious northerly passage of Swallows I wasn't counting them properly but about 300 or so went north.

Whilst out on the boat we had 40 Bottle-nosed Dolphins that followed us playing in the pressure wave from the boat they were so close you could hear them clicking at each other, absolutely amazing animals one of the best things I've ever seen, these pics don't do them justice. In fact I struggled with the camera as they were a bit too close for the 300mm lens!

The following video taken by my mate Cooky is a bit long but shows the views we were getting really well.

I haven't had it confirmed yet but I believe Brian Fendley didn't see the Ring billed the other month, which means I may still be joint 9th. I can't see it lasting long though to be honest as it's looking like I'll be out of the county a lot this spring.

I'm also worried about Tim Isherwood catching me so arranged for him to come and do some surveying in Scotland last week. I figured getting him out of the county was a sure way of him missing owt that turned up.

It nearly fuckin worked too but the putative Harlequin possibly sounds like it maybe wasn't probably one............allegedly!

Saw some good stuff whilst away, Eagles and Hen Harriers every day, Crippling views of Black throats in full summer attire, lekking Black Grouse, no Crested Tits tho which Tim wouldn't shut up about! I reckon he might secretly need them.

This beaut was one of a pair that were quite close to where I found a breeding pair last year, lets hope they're back for another go cos they failed last year. I've been told Black throats desert very easily even when the young are well grown, in fact it sounds like Shannon Mathews was better cared for than the average Black throat chick! Fingers crossed for them this year.

I know this is a shite pic but it was snatched as we bumped into these having a right go at the side of the road, now I know where they lek I'll try getting a less obscured position for some more shots next time I'm passing. I'll also be trying for some nice Eagle shots, at one of the sites we surveyed the landowner puts out Deer carcasses for them, seems like you can get quite close.

Jeez I've been busy, I've not actually done any birding for about a month, well I have cos I bird for a living but not any proper birding when I do the what I want when I want sort of stuff. I have however been on a boat for a few days, been to the highlands and Slimbridge and flown a few times. I've seen Golden Eagle and a few Hen Harriers, a Med Gull, lots of plastic duck type things and not much else, my migrant total for the year is 1 Sand Martin, 4 Swallows, 1 Wheatear and 1 Chiff, oh and the Black Red which seems so long ago it feels like it was mid winter!

The obs is now back open after all the renovation work and a lot of painting so I'll be there in the next few days so should get some proper birding done then.

I hate dog shit! The first field at Hornsea was covered in the stuff today. Makes me really glad they're not allowed on Spurn, sod the bloody ground nesting birds what about the soles of my trainer. I reckon the owners who don't clear it up should be made to eat the fuckin stuff.

Anyway, back to the birds. Saw the Brant again and 24 Barnalces at Spurn on sat, the thief is still hanging around and as any one else noticed how obvious Barn Owls are at the moment? I saw them 6 times on Sat.

Sunday Towel and me went looking for Gos' we saw 1 shortly after arrival very distant but then nowt just a load of Buzzards and a Sprawk. Although we did have a Herring Gull called out by one bloke as a Gannet due to it's white underparts and black wingtips! Maybe it was a Snow Goose! Did a bit if dudeing after and saw the usual suspects at Forge Valley and a drake Mandarin in Hackness lake then about 5 Meds at Holbeck.

Not much to speak of at Hornsea except a Slav which seems to have been there since early Feb but I'd somehow managed to avoid hearing anything about it.

Spring is here- it's official.

Well the one migrant I've seen so far seemed to think so anyway. Spurns first Black Red of the year was a whole month earlier than the earlierest one last year.

Other stuff included distant views of the Black Brant, 42 Pale belied Brents, 2 Shorties and a Blue Chicken Thief! One of the Shorties and the Thief were at Welwick saltmarsh with a Merlin.

Sunday was a washout with heavy rain all day so I birded from the car for a change, and saw 2 White fronts at West Carlton and 2 at Tunstall plus a total of 14 Pink feet, I missed the Crane and the poss Green winged Teal and despite spending most of the day under a nice tin roof still got soaked.

Had a couple of days flying mid week and managed this with the phone, I'll have to get a proper lens for this sort of thing.

I've been relegated, perhaps twice, seems fitting as a Leeds fan! There's a new Blog in town and it's swearier and generally more offensive than this one. I'm not sure if I've ever met the author as I was away for most of last year working or on Shetland but he recently started to bird Spurn and made me laugh so I've added Q@Spurn to my blog list. The statistical analysis of likelihood of Gulls getting some food by flying round making loads of noise chasing another Gull raised a smile, be warned though he's a fuckin sweary fucker!

I'm still clinging onto the slim hope that Brian Fendley didn't bother going for the Ring billed Gull cos if he did I'm no longer joint ninth, I'm relegated to tenth, and with Tim Isherwood just as fanatical about his Yorks list as me, and now only one bird behind, another spring walking round Scotland counting Golden Plover could be costly.

I was doing some survey work on the Humber last week and drove past the RSPB reserve house for Blacktoft in Whitgift. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the house but you will all know the road through the village, so, what I'd like to know is why the fuck have they put up a big red STOP sign at the end of the drive? Can somebody tell me, please.

It's surely the biggest waste of money I've ever seen and just typical of the stupid nanny culture that exists these days.

I reckon if you pull out of a blind drive into a road without stopping to have a bit of a look for other traffic then you deserve what's coming your way. In fact if there was no sign we'd get rid of all the numpties that need to be told to stop and we'd all be a lot fucking safer for it.

It really pisses me off that they've basically wasted someone's yearly membership fee on this and I'm glad mine lapsed a few years ago cos I don't want to support an organisation that puts so little value on it's members that it's prepared to spend their money on this shite.

Well Tuesday was my last day in Holland and Jim had some work to do in the afternoon so we planned the day around me finishing with some Gooses action nr Rotterdam.

First though knowing my addiction to buying outdoor clothing Jim took me to what must be the biggest outdoor shop.....................................................................IN THE WORLD (that last bit should be read in the style of Clarkson).

It's unbelievable, it took us about an hour and a half to walk round it, they stock everything, even stuff for proper expeditions that I didn't even know existed like down lined boots for wearing in the tent when its about -300. I somehow managed to refrain from buying anything at all which I still can't quite believe, Jim bought a pair of down lined mittens which looked good, and apparently keep his hands warm, judging by how cold mine were later that day I should have maybe bought some too! Although judging by the prices trying stuff on then sourcing it back home here would be a better bet, a Mountain Equipment jacket was £80 more than it sells for here!!! Anyway here's the website if anyone fancies a nose. http://www.zwerfkei.nl/

Just round the corner from this shop was a big lake which had an American Wigeon on it but we couldn't find it despite looking for about 5 minutes. As time was getting on Jim had to set off for his survey site so we said our emotional farewells and I headed to Rotterdam.

Once in Rotterdam I quickly found this

And a couple of these

The Buffleheed has been returning each winter for about the last 4 or 5 and sometimes shows really close to the bank, obviously it didn't this time.

From here it was a short drive to the site for Lesser White Fronts which were in the exact field Jim had told me they would be in, also here were about 20 unphotogenic Buzzards and millions of Barnacles and White fronts. Jim had said there would be Great White Egrets in the ditches next to the tracks at this site, well they aren't great and they weren't there either!

Within 10 minutes of arriving I'd connected with about 60 lessers which got flushed pretty quickly by two women on hosses and then all the other gooses started to drift off so with almost 2 hours of light left there was nothing to see! I made my way back to the ferry terminal and had a kip.

So 4 days winter birding in Holland,I think you'd have to say it's a pretty good list of tackle. I really was surprised by how good the birding was it's such a small country as well that we covered most of it in the 4 days and I've almost forgotten about my experience on Texel, it certainly beats birding in Britain in winter, I was even impressed with the Gooses!