It’s a beautiful day!

The safari was out too early to enjoy an apparently spectacular sunrise. (Nothing noted as outstanding on Patch 1 by the way – a House Sparrow might be nice as we don’t have it on our Walking Tick List yet!)) By the time we got to Patch 2 the sun was well up and driven off most of the morning’s frost. The beach was enormous; we got there a few minutes after low tide. Not a lot on it and what there was was a long, long way away! The usual gulls but a reasonably thorough scan of those within range didn’t pull out anything unexpected. Oystercatcher and Redshank numbers were pitiful and Sanderlings have become extinct.
The sea was like a sheet of glass and with the low morning light reflecting off it the 350 or so Common Scoters looked like they were floating in a hazy ether rather than on water. A fair number for this winter but too far out to see if there were any ‘white-wingers’ amongst them. Absolutely beggar all else out there!
Lunchtime – House Sparrow is now on Walking Tick List (57)

11 of them in the grounds where some kind visitors have set up a few feeders. Also took the opportunity to get some sunshine shots across gardens at work – bizarre circular cloud above right hand turbine out to sea - no planes in the sky at all so what is it?

At lunchtime the tide was almost full but there was little to show for it. The Common Scoters were all still present and correct, hardly a gull in sight just a handful of Black Heads sitting it out just off the sea wall. A more distant one travelling north was very Kittiwakey but not tickable, not to worry cos they’ll be coming past in numbers before too long.
The sun was warm, so much so that my ear on the sunny side actually felt like it was burning! Even a little bit of welcome heat penetrated my coat and briefly eased my poorly shoulder. Remember Frank’s escapade with the Fox about a week ago? I’m still suffering badly from shoulder wrench.

Where to next? Hmm day off tomorrow with a vets visit but then there is Great Grey Shrike not too far away for a weekend target. after 'Pool have beaten Ipswich of course - back to Bloomfield Road on Saturday arvo...3-0 please.

In the meantime let us know what target species might be mooching around your outback.