Calm sunny autumn sun sun. Who could resist?
Went for a walk round the Sands Lake at Ainsdale and into the dunes in the last hour or two of light this afternoon.
Four Mute Swans all present and correct, about 100 Tufted Ducks and about 50 BHGs and Common Gulls washing and loafing on the lake.
A few Greenfinches, Robins, Wrens and Goldfinches in the bushes and buckthorn and a flock of 14 Long Tailed Tits with a few Blue Tits with them - all tit flocks are worth checking at this time of year, but this one was rarity free.
Four Grey Wags passed overhead in an hour and a half, no thrushes apart from Blackbirds tho'.
In the dunes to the north of the lake I came across this fire - a small dune was well ablaze with crackling and singing marram.
No, I didn't start it myself, and yes I did ring the fire brigade.
Neither Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrue, Cuthbert, Dibble nor for that matter Grubb, showed up - although in their defence it was probably very hard to find (away from the road, not much smoke etc) and they probably had more important fires to attend to.
Waited around for half an hour, luckily it seemed to burn itself out, and there was me thinking scrotes only torched the dunes in summer.
Away from the conflagration, Meadow Pipits were dropping into the frontal dunes, presumably to roost.
Headed back to the lake with the aroma of roasted Sand Lizards in my nostrils (only joking, it smelt more like Natterjacks).
As the sun sank lower a Water Rail began squealing in the reeds in the north western corner of the lake and the gulls continued squabbling for bread.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »
derek williams wrote...
Records from Haskayne area, 0ct 2nd - 13th:
2/10/07: 14 Cormorants, 600 Skylark, Fieldfare.
3/10/07: 2 Black Tailed Godwit overhead.
5/10/07: Wigeon, male Brambling, 12 Blue Tit.
6/10/07: 30 Long Tailed Tit, 3 Tree Sparrow, 75 Corn Bunting, 6 Snipe.
7/10/07: Adult Black tern, Green Sandpiper, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker.
11/10/07: Water Rail, 6 Buzzard.
12/10/07: Arctic Tern, 3 Peregrine, probable Gyr (as mentioned in previous posts).
13/10/07: male Shoveler.
Posted by: derek williams | October 24, 2007 10:04 AM