Wednesday 10 February 2010

Devastated

The safari is deeply unhappy about last night’s 2 – 0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, ‘Pool are now sliding down the league table, nightmare. Pull yer fingers out this Saturday boys, can’t be going to PNE and getting beaten at Deepdale – NOT an option!
Frank was playing up this morning after a restless night – the idiot musta followed his nose and eaten something he shouldn’t…happens all the time…doh!!! Anyway the upshot was that we didn’t get round the patch, just a foreshortened route. We could hear the nearer of the two Song Thrushes but that was about it – no sign of the Peregrine.
However, driving past the tower on the way to work he was back and we could see falling feathers glinting in the sunshine…breakfast was being munched!
Another cold but sunny Patch 2 visit produced at least three Red Throated Divers, not sure if one doubled back on itself and landed on the sea before setting off north again or there were actually two birds. Good to see them with the bright crisp morning sunshine shining on them all the same. Not much else about; like yesterday there were reasonable numbers of uncounted Cormorants mostly headed south west towards their unknown roost or high tide feeding site. We have never seen so many singleton, pairs or trios of Common Scoters, again flying all over the shop but no larger flocks this morning.
Best sighting of the session was a small flock of Knot (105) whizzing past. A bird which really we should have come across already this year but has somewhat strangely successfully avoided the notebook until now.
The lunchtime session was a bit hairy with the results of our work’s pay review trickling in and some people weren’t looking too happy at all…despondent might be a better expression. The safari had to sweat it out until we got home and read the letter the posty had left on the mat. In the meantime it was over the road to Patch 2 for us. Unfortunately there was very little to keep us interested, or warm. Very few gulls on the beach and nothing out of the ordinary amongst them. The only thing of note out at sea was a flockette of two male and two female Eiders. Hardly worth going out into the bitingly cold wind…but you never know – the biggy coulda been out there…oh for a Ivory Gull sat with the Black Heads in that runnel by the next dead Harbour Porpoise. Better stop dreamin’ now…
Where to next? Not really likely to be able to do anything other than more patchy stuff until the weekend.
In the meantime let us know what you’re dreaming of landing in your outback.
No photo today to despondent to get the camera out...you really don't want to know, anyone got a big cardboard box, might need it to live in in a few months.
For Forest the Bear - here's what we could have been doing last weekend with the lads if we hadn't had family stuff to do...as stated sooooo jealous.

3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Thanks Dave for your comment re the mystery raptor :-)

I initially thought it was a Red Kite, but it just didn't show the forked tail.....I cant tick it, just hope it's not the last Harrier/kite I see this year, both are very rare here.

Forest the Bear said...

Looks like allot of fun Dave....mud,mud and more glorious mud!!!! Cracking green-lanes you have up in your neck of the woods.

Always wanted a 110 myself, but have just not got round to it...maybe this year, so I can start venturing into the great terrain here in Wicklow.

Lancs and Lakes Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Warren - in your sequence you can see the tail twisting so I would guess if it were forked you would have spotted that feature.

Forest - hit the credit card and take the plunge - worst car on the road but still the best 4x4 by far!!!! must be some great tracks over in the Wicklow mts too.

D