Where'd the sunshine go?

The Safari's wildlifing  day started with the now annual early season guided walk to look for the local colony of Common Lizards. The sun was up and warm on the back of the neck but a chilling wind still blew and right across the basking bank too. But which would prevail warm sun or cool wind. The bank has less bare patches than in previous years probably from the extraordinary cold knocking it over. Placing the back of our hand on the top of the grass and sand and found it to be quite comfortably warm out of the wind. 

Our resident herpetologist had already found one animal and had him in a a tub just in case no others were found. As it happened we needed have worried as his eagle eyes found another well hidden one basking under quite thick vegetation. We got great views but only managed a few lousy photographs. Fortunately everyone else on the walk got good views too. 

Glad we caught most of the little fella's eye

Frank wasn't up for going through the dunes so left the rest to continue the hunt. A few Meadow Pipits went over but there wasn't much else birdwise doing.

On the way back to Base Camp we had to drop off some "Have you seen any Grass Snakes?" posters at a couple of the allotments and at the first stop we were overlooking our wetland and picked up a Sand Martin (MMLNR #82) jinking around over the far end of the site.

housey type business filled the afternoon and we hoped to get out after football - thank goodness 'Pool' overcame local rivals to creep a few places up the table and a couple more points above the relegation zone, still not fully safe yet though. The rain came steady down and tbh we bottled it. The choice was to back to the nature reserve or perhaps Chat Alley, perhaps we should have given Chat Alley a go and see if anything was coasting but anything dropping in the nature reserve should still be there tomorrow given the rain is forecast to continue well into late morning. we're gonna get wet but will we find anything?

Where to next? Might try an hour along Chat Alley after Frank has had his brekkie before taking him our for the day to the nature reserve...don't think we'll get any further than that but you never know what might turn up within range locally at tthis time of year.

In the meantime let us know what's trying to warm up in your outback.