The Safari has not been totally inactive these last few days but we've not been out too much - thwarted by bad weather, too much high tide and Greenwich Mean Time.
The Black Throated Diver we saw the other day might have ended up across the bay as one was seen at Walney Island yesterday, obviously it could well have been a different one but there's never too many seen round here.
Yesterday we started with a Blackbird dropping almost vertically onto the top of the pergola over our front gate as we left Base Camp pre-dawn. Turning the corner on to the main road we saw another five! They weren't there the day before and they weren't there this morning - a bit of a fall?
An hour later on the drive up the hill we spotted a flock of six Cormorants coming from behind the tower, directly over Patch 1 - not often we see them this far inland around Base Camp.
The 'excitement' continued at lunchtime with a lone Bar Tailed Godwit on the beach...nothing else though. Not a bad day!
Today started well with a Wren in the works garden first thing...what you say a Wren? Yes a Wren! They are really scarce there and was probably a migrant.
A lunchtime errand enabled us to have a mooch round the dunes near to the office. It was very quiet, a Magpie, a Meadow Pipit and a Robin were quickly found but it was a while before we found the next species, another Wren likely to be resident here! Good to see a couple of Rabbits too, they have a positive effect on the vegetation by keeping the longer grasses at bay allowing light and space to smaller more delicate plants. We sort of knew where to look for our target for this little sortie after a tip off from AB earlier in the week but you never know with this species but we were lucky enough to trip over the hoped for Jack Snipe (184) watching it circle round with an all too brief splash of sunshine really catching its lovely golden lines down its back.
The dunes aren't the best place to stand around on the tops of the hills taking photos. As you do previously unseen other blokes appear behind you standing on similar hills - ooohhh errrr.
AB's house is somewhere in the centre distance maybe not quite visible at this angle but you can see why his 'garden' list is so high now.
This evening the Peregrine was snoozing on the tower visible in the glow from the street lamps.
So not all bad despite the limited opportunities to get out...just goes to show if you look you'll see something.
Where to next? Was thinking Winter Thrushes survey tomorrow but it might have to wait til Sunday due to inclement weather.
In the meantime let us know who nearly got trodden on in your outback.
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