You don't need to be a whizzbang marketing guru to know that Friday is everyone's favourite day (apart from if you're a fish possibly).
Like everyone else I like to prepare for the weekend, check out the UK's birding arrivals and departures and if necessary dig out my road atlas for twicthcing duties.
The latter is becoming something of a rare event these days (okay, okay, apart from the sooty tern), but I'll still go if I have to.
Nothing to get too excited about this a.m. though _ the marsh sandpiper down in Essex sounds elegant, although not as elegant as the recent elegant tern in Ireland, and the white rumped sand up on the Wyre estuary is a bit of a tempter...but as I was fortunate enough to find the one at Marshside a few years back with Barry McCarthy, I think I'll pass on it.
It's definately better to find your own birds (if only it didn't take so long....)
More attractive are the breeding bee eaters down in Herefordshire, the whole setting sounds so idyllic _ with a pair of beautiful birds so close to the "Bunch of Carrots" pub, how could a day down there be anything but mucho relaxo....
Closer to home, the lesser white front is still at Conway, but what do you do with this bird _ presumably the answer to that depends on whether you've seen one before or not.
With free flying, fully winged and unringed lesser whitefronts growing in number, the status of this once fabled goose species is crumbling before our eyes.
From mega rarity to feral tart's tick, the lesser white front has taken a real hit in recent years _ but how can you know you're watching a wild bird anymore _ whether you're sitting at Slimbridge or watching a herd of winter grey geese on the mosses, you can't!
You'll get better odds on the ruddy shelduck at Inner Marsh Farm _ but only just.
Anyway, I better go and get some work done _ don't forget my column in the Liverpool Daily Post tomorrow, on dormice and cheating at the 25 yards swimming certificate this week....
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies
(and happy birthday to me for tomorrow _ 21 is such a good age to be!!!)
You can contact me at john.dempsey@liverpool.com
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