Thrush again

The Safari arrived at work early in the pre-dawn morning to find the Song Thrush was still hopping around by the front door at work, didn’t expect to see it again, will it be there tomorrow?

Nothing of note was seen on a hazy sea during a very short and very chilly Patch 2 watch.

By lunchtime the sun had been out taking the temperature to a balmy 0°C. The sea was quiet apart from a southbound flock of 12 Pintail.

A dark small wader with a wide wing bar flitting past made us look more closely at the beach. A count of the waders gave us 33 Sanderlings, four Redshanks, a Turnstone and four of the ‘mystery’ wader – Ringed Plovers; a species that has been very scarce on the beach this year. A very welcome addition to the day’s birding.

Bit of a strange days with two pieces of local (and not so local environmental news).

First the gas fracking in the local fields has been given the go ahead. Ids this good or is this bad? Hard to say but we will betaking pictures of all our walls and ceilings this weekend so as our solicitor can see we had no cracks in the walls before the fracking began and the tremors (= earthquakes) start. Rather than dash for gas we'd be better investing  in the need for less energy full stop. If the astronauts in the ISS can wear t-shirts with the thinnest of skins around them and an external temperature which varies between -160 C and +120 C why are our homes so poorly insulated???

The sea this morning had a huge heat haze over it, surely it's not beyond the wit of man to be able to use that infinite source of energy...probably isn't but they couldn't make any money out of it...should the warmth be a profit making commodity?

Next up from the 'Greenest Government Ever!' was the announcement of ONLY 31 of 127 proposed Marine Conservation Zones being put forward for consultation. At least one of those 31 is Patch 2, let's hope it gets through the consultation without a hitch. The Cook Islands managed a far bigger success - shame on our pathetic shower!

On a final environmental matter that cropped up yesterday we've had to write to our MP and MEPs to ask what the hell is going on...and when is it going to addressed...we have HAD ENOUGH OF THIS BLATANT AND WANTON LAW BREAKING and destruction of our natural heritage.
Maybe our local Area of  Outstanding Natural Beauty's logo should look like this

Where to next? What will turn up tomorrow? - strong wind and heavy rain probably.

In the meantime let us know who needs warming up in your outback.