Thursday, April 23, 2020

πŸ”’ Lockdown Days 30/31

☀️5C to start then ☀️18C ~ Wind ↙NE@7mph Wednesday 22nd April 2020 ~ Another glorious start to the day and feeling a little shattered having stayed up late last night for the Lyrid Meteor Shower I decided on a shorter than normal walk today around the marina and just a single circuit of the reservoir.

Before the start of play today my 'Lockdown List' was standing at 93 species and as I edge nearer to my goal of 100 It's becoming a little more difficult but nonetheless very exciting. I've been incredibly lucky over the past few weeks, adding new species each day, some of which I've never recorded locally before and I'm glad to say that today I was once again fortunate to continue my good run adding a further two species both to my 2020 Year-List and COVID-19 'Lockdown List'.

My first Common Swift of the year No.94 on the 'Lockdown List'
Number one was a year first Common Swift which swooped low over the reservoir shortly after I arrived and in fact stayed around for nearly all of my circuit feeding happily over the sheep field.

One of my Garden Warbler images
Number two was another year first, a Garden Warbler which was singing in a nearby hawthorn and seen very briefly as I paused at the top reedbeds. Also of note today a single Snipe and (2) Common Sandpipers.

SpaceX Falcon launch from Cape Canaveral
☀️22C ~ Wind ↙NE@3mph Thursday 23rd April 2020 ~ Last night I watched the live feed of the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket making its fourth trip to space to launch 60 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral. Astonishingly just 20 minutes later I was looking in amazement as the SpaceX rocket passed directly overhead the UK having deployed its satellites. One of the most spectacular things I think I've ever witnessed but sadly over in a flash!

A singing Blackcap at the marina today
Today is 'lockdown' day 31 and I don't think that over the last 30 days bar one I've had a lay in beyond 7am. So today I did and just spent the day at the marina, apart from driving to the chemist for a prescription in the afternoon.

A Linnet settles briefly ~ viewed from the boat deck
I took a few circuits of the grounds during the day and spent a good few hours sky-watching but frankly, the current weather conditions of bright sunshine and clear skies does not make for great sky-watching conditions and you can easily end up with a headache.