Although my manners are often compared to those of an unruly warthog, it would have been downright bad etiquette to not pop down and see the Snow Bunting on Ainsdale's Green Beach, which Phil Smith and Ralph Jones have been admiring for a few days now, especially as it's so close to home.
Got down to the Sands Lake for 7.45am to be confronted by more cars than I've ever seen down there.
Thoughts of stumbling on a mega-twitch were swiftly dispelled when I realised it was a big bad Pontins Weekender on the go, so I left the bright young things to it and headed off through the scrub.
Whitethroat and Willow Warbler singing away around the lake and three Wheatears on the Green Beach, with Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Lapwing.
The female Snow Bunting was preening and feeding away on the Green Beach just as the first low dunes build up, and as is often the way, ignored me completely, often coming too close to focus the scope on.
A real peach, she was busy picking seed heads off the vegetation, so not bothered about me.
Occasionally she was chased out onto the beach proper by Skylarks, but quickly returned to the Green Beach, trilling away.
Superb - I watched her for an hour and a half, with two Ravens croaking overhead to add to the Cairngorm atmosphere.
Thanks to Phil and Ralph for keeping me updated on the bird in the week.
Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and some gorgeous full summer plumage Grey Plover on the beach now too.
Fine way to start the day.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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John Bannon wrote...
Birds seen in the sunshine today included Bokmakerie, Southern Boubou, Lesser Double-collared Sunbird and best of all a pair of Verreaux's Eagles at their very public nest site, with hordes of picknickers and the Pretoria Bird Club.
Yes I'm back in Joburg, South Africa as the S.Hemisphere winter approaches - mid winter's day here is June 21st. The eagles have nested on the cliffs at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, not 10 miles from the city centre, for probably thousands of years. The female is at least 35, the new male, known as "Toyboy" is a mere 17 years old.
Two eggs in the nest laid four days apart, first on April 12. When they hatch in 3rd week May, the older chick kills the younger one within 4/5 days and eats it. Known as the 'Cain' effect, the second egg is for insurance only.
I knew there was an advantage being the firstborn !!
TTFN...eyes off those pies !
John Bannon, SA correspondent
Posted by: John Bannon | May 10, 2008 4:55 PM