Its commonly accepted that I moan a lot. I'm a tad grumpy, and suffer chronically from short-person syndrome. This isn't usually a problem, as I generally like myself. January this year brought out the worst grumpiness in me for many a year.
The start of the month was without not only any big days out, it was, to my mind, without any decent birding at all. PArtly family commitments, partly sleeping in on a Sunday- my birding day- it wasn't a great start. Any tick I got I had to earn, and seldom has my garden been so well scrutinised.
Mid- month, things started getting better, with small days out locally, picking up ticks here and there, but still lacking any marquee days of note- no big lists, no days of damnedfinebirding (I invented that word) but the occasional tick to keep the list 'ticing over' (sorry, couldn't resist it)
The end of the month, though, got me finally off the leash and I got some quality birding days under my belt. By close of play on Monday, I counted 77 species on my list. Still, though, I couldn't get ridof the idea that I was far behind schedule this year. Until I checked my records, and fond out that I was actually 1 ahead of last year.
77 ticks from limited birding, and the feeling that every one of them was earned the hard way.
Can't really complain, but must, must, must keep it up!!
The start of the month was without not only any big days out, it was, to my mind, without any decent birding at all. PArtly family commitments, partly sleeping in on a Sunday- my birding day- it wasn't a great start. Any tick I got I had to earn, and seldom has my garden been so well scrutinised.
Mid- month, things started getting better, with small days out locally, picking up ticks here and there, but still lacking any marquee days of note- no big lists, no days of damnedfinebirding (I invented that word) but the occasional tick to keep the list 'ticing over' (sorry, couldn't resist it)
The end of the month, though, got me finally off the leash and I got some quality birding days under my belt. By close of play on Monday, I counted 77 species on my list. Still, though, I couldn't get ridof the idea that I was far behind schedule this year. Until I checked my records, and fond out that I was actually 1 ahead of last year.
77 ticks from limited birding, and the feeling that every one of them was earned the hard way.
Can't really complain, but must, must, must keep it up!!
