27th May. Least of My Worries

Forcing myself out of bed at 5am, probably for the penultimate time this month due to the depleting number of migrants, I reluctantly made my way to Orgreave. Despite the previous day producing one or too decent birds, namely Sanderling and Turnstone, this morning was more typical of late may/early June i.e. very little of note. Added to this my mind was elsewhere, being more concerned about the rather bad limp that one of the cats had developed over the last couple of days and the subsequent damage that it would do to my bank account. If any one ever tells you not to bother with pet insurance ignore them as they are clearly insane - more on that

later.

Early evening and news of a Least Sandpiper at Old Moor - now I know why the old boys used to call it Wath Mecca- coincided conveniently with dropping Beth at Guides, as had the Stone Curlew a few weeks previously. The hide was full on arrival but fortunately this smallest of the Calidris showed very well in front of the hide, amply making up for missing out on the previous two Yorkshire birds.

Without doubt the worst photo you will ever see of a Least Sand (or any other bird for that matter) don't go searching the Internet you won't find one any worse!

Seeing the Least Sandpiper at Wath brought back memories of the unfortunate incident of the only Sheffield record. It was at Middleton Moor back in 1988 - for whatever reason it was suppressed (frankly I don't really care) but it was as a result of this that one Wath regular penned an hilarious limerick about an infamous birder from the North Midlands - can't say too much there's probably the 1980's equivalent of a super injunction on that one! If anyone has that logbook I would dearly love to read it again - the cartoon of another birders wellies hanging out of the aforementioned's arse was almost as funny.

Back to the cat. It appears he's been shot and it's going to cost the best part of half a pair of Leica's to get him right - yet again the Devil vomits in my kettle, though some might say I deserve it!

Well I suppose the local nestling's will be safe!!

I've been neglecting the pie stuff lately, though my belly tells a different story, so thanks to Dave Mack here's something from local ukulele band The Everly Pregnant Brothers.