Monday 14 February 2011

St Valentine's Day mass...acres of nothing much

The Safari wasn't out much today - St Valentine's Day car repairs!
This arvo we got a trip out to the river and estuary - the tide was out and the birds duly scattered. Decent numbers of Lapwings and a few Shelducks pottered about on the mudflats in the stream.
A Meadow Pipit flew over but the large flock of Skylarks present during the cold spell have moved on.
Through the trees/hedgerow on the top of the bank a few Chaffinches and Great Tits flitted along. At one point a huge electricity pylon transported the wires hissing and crackling across the river - many years ago we walked out on to the marsh under the wires and found a dead Zebra Finch, don't really think it was a genuine vagrant but if it died from hitting the wires 100 or so feet above then it must have been going for the altitude record for its species -the ones we saw in Western Australia never got more than low bush high.
Also in the bushes was a flock of 16 Linnets, some of the males were getting their summer finery and starting to put a few notes together.
A small flock of Pink Feet went over, love the sound of geese particularly at night
Frank had a great game with a sackful of other Labradors but only managed to get the ball once and then only because it was thrown at his feet.
Then it rained and heavy cold rain it was too.
Still no sign of that elusive Little Egret - we have seen them here a few times before.
Where to next? Back to the patches - two Peregrines on the ledges at tea time.
In the meantime let us know what's lying deceased under the pylons in your outback....at the nature reserve we succeeded in getting the electricity company to put markers on them a few years ago after a spate of Mute Swan 'accidents'.
WOULD you believe it - we've jsut finished a post without mentioning those 'g' s once!!!!!

1 comment:

cliff said...

Dave - it was well worth there not being much about just so you could use that terrific post title - a job writing headlines for The Sun surely awaits?