29th September. Pseudo Shetland

Enough of harking back to the good old days or moping around about not going to Shetland. It was time to get stuck into the patch, this is after all the first time I've ever had an October at Orgreave. So I did just that and got stuck in:

Two laps of the lakes didn't come up with much other than the Ring-necked Duck showing quite well.

In the absence of any Shetland pastry provisions my pie of choice for the day (and my current favourite) was this rather excellent Andrew Jones prize winning pork pie. Available in all good supermarkets and quite simply the most sumptuous pork pie you will eat from a supermarket shelf.  That ought to get me a few samples from Mr Jones (I'm particularly fond of the fidget pie).

This 'crop' field has in the last week produced two Tree Pipits, Whinchat, and a boat load of Skylarks and Mipits. The crop is the failed planting of willow, birch and the usual shit that they pass off as regeneration. 

Lots of Siskin, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Pied Wagtails on the move throughout the morning and on my way across the playing fields, to get the bus, this rather grey looking Yellow Wagtail.  Eastern influence?

So to sum up 1 yank, 1 flava (possibly with some eastern influence), some visible migration and a delicious pie - almost like a day on Shetland, though not really!