Best wishes for 2016

The Safari went out this morning in very welcome sunshine. We had an couple of shops to visit to get four items of which two were the same before we could go looking for wildlife, By the time we'd come out of the first shop it was spitting with rain and by the time we'd crossed the road to the second shop and final little item it was full blown raining again! Purchases made we pointed the car towards the local Short Eared Owls but they were never going to show as the rain turned from heavy to torrential again, looking out to sea it was clear the weather is in for the day. From there we decided to risk a soaking at Chat Alley to see the wader roost on the now storm-wrecked go-kart track. A dash across the Prom in heavy rain to look down on the roost was unpleasant but there was a good number Redshanks and several Turnstones already on the wall. Our usual watch  point gave us no shelter what so ever so we tried down by the disused toilets - never the most pleasant place to bird from but at least the driving rain was rattling on our back. After about 10 minutes some of the Turnstones dropped into the go-kart track to feed on the remains of the flood's strandline, the Redshanks didn't follow them. We risked a quick walk hunched against the wind to get a different angle to see if there were any Purple Sandpipers lurking in amongst the others - there weren't today but there had been earlier in the week. By now we were colder and wetter and gave up on the idea of nipping round to the nature reserve to see if there were any more than one Long Eared Owl on show.

We weren't able to get the camera from out under our coat today, so no pics for you.

So that was that for the end of 2015.

All that remains is to wish all our readers a happy, peaceful and wildlife filled New Year - All the very best everyone. If you've joined the Patchwork Challenge we'll see you on there.

Where to next? Family duties tomorrow but we'll be out with our Scouse mates on 2nd for some serious birding.

In the meantime let us know who's getting rained on in your outback