And now for something completely different

The Safari  reckons it's not everyday you see a roller-skating Giant Panda being accompanied by a burly bloke dressed as a nun on a mobile piano!

Maybe it is round your way....

And in other news.

A nice summer plumaged Red Throated Diver was found on Patch 2 first thing while we were watching that we saw an auk drift into the field of view, While watching that and IDing it as a Guillemot a Harbour Porpoise surfaced four times behind it...not a bad few minutes. We found another three Red Throated Divers all of wom were still in their winter garb as were the other two Guillemots we picked up. Two Greeat Crested Grebes were out there too.

A few Sandwich Terns plunged offshore, one successfully.

A trip to the shop for tea n milk gave us DB's Goldfinches (P2 #52) in the far corner of the garden and the return journey from the shop saw a Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff (P2 #53) dive in to the bushes in front of us as we walked up towards the car park - Both are very scarce at work but this one didn't call or sing so we're not sure which of the two it was.

By lunchtime the tide had gone out but the beach was disturbed by fishermen, bait diggers and dog walkers so there wasn't much about. A look down the beach to the south had us watching a Whimbrel (140, P2 #54) come in to land before being flushed by a light aircraft a flying on its way. As we watched the Whimbrel climb higher in the sky a pair of dog-fighting gulls caught our eye. Shame it was so hazy as one was a Lesser Black Backed Gull and the other an Arctic Skua! Needless to say the skua won the battle.

The two Great Crested Grebes had now increased to a flock of three but there was nothing else on the sea although with the low tide and heavy drizzle visiibility wasn't the best it's ever been.

Been some good stuff about today which has had us a bit miffed at being stuck at work...like a Wood Warbler very close to the nature reserve, many many years since we've had one there, only 91 Wheatears in a couple of fields a short drive away, still only seen three all spring, and there must have been a Whinchat somewhere, they were being reported all along the coast to the south of us...Chat Alley???

Where to next? very tempted to do an evening wood warbler twitch.

In the meantime let us know who's providing the musical accompaniment in your outback.