10th July. The Rotherham River Area (not to be confused with riviera)

It's that time of year again when the days are long and the sun shines (sometimes) and there's generally very few birds. Oh birds. Well over the last few weeks there's been more than our normal fair share of ultra rare specimens to chase. Unfortunately I'd either seen them before (Pacific Swift and Bridled Tern), they'd die (Needletail) or just vanish Frigatebird. I'd just booked the ferry when I heard of the Needletails demise and we (thankfully) aborted the trip to Islay for the Frigatebird. So for the rest of June and the first part of July I've been stuck in the garden building things and earning valuable Brownie points that will enable me twitch quality birds like the aforementioned rares.

Meanwhile on the patch I've just about managed to keep visits to 3-4 times most weeks all of which have proved pretty dull, 7 Common Scoter and a Green Sandpiper were the highlights in June with just a Treecreeper (scarce here) so far this month.

Whilst I'm unlikely to win the Patchwork rarest bird find I must surely be in line for oddest patch find with this fine (though broken) example of a Wickes Workbench - not to be confused with the similar Black and Decker Workmate. The very fact that some thoughtful individuals had carried this several hundred metres to lay it in its final resting place brought a feeling of joy to my heart.

The continuing hot spell has really brought the holiday makers out with a group of visiting Eastern Europeans putting on a fine diving display off the top of the Rother Bridge a particular highlight of the recent weekend.

More random (it's what the kids say for unusual) finds this morning included this pink padded bra (34D) and a bust inflatable dingy.                      Hopefully it will piss it down soon and the locals will stay at home watching re-runs of Jeremy Kyle, whilst I feast (visually) on returning migrants, whilst wearing my snug fitting newly acquired pink bra!