A little bit of patch gold!

An early morning stroll around the patch was a rather tedious affair if the truth is told. A female Wheatear flitted along the track towards Broadstairs and five Rooks (3 west, 2 north) were the early highlights as I wandered around. Odd Meadow Pipits and a small flock of Linnets were flushed from the cauliflower field and a couple of pairs of Greenfinches were noisily engaged in display flights along the Vine Close hedgerow. It was whilst I was watching one of these males that I noticed a chunky-looking passerine drop into the top of a lone sycamore. Raising my bins, its id was revealed as a Corn Bunting - only the second patch sighting of this species in fourteen years - real patch-watching treasure. I managed a token record image before it was off; flying strongly northward.

It's crazy to think that a nondescript brown bird could cause such an adrenaline rush, yet that is the beauty of patch watching I guess. The ordinary can take on a whole new dimension when viewed from a very local perspective?

The rather spectacular looking Incurvaria masculella

I took Emily across to Ash, yesterday, and spent a while in the children's play area before nipping in to Dad's (Tim, Julie, Luke and Josh are down for the weekend) for an hour or so. I managed to grab a few shots of another micro moth (Incurvaria masculella) and a tiny (approx 3mm) fly sp. which posed nicely on my finger.

Don't have the first idea where to start looking for the id of this smart little insect.

We're all off out for a family lunch, so any thoughts of wetting a line will have to go on hold for another week - it's a tough life being a Wrathall!