Careful, you'll have someone's eye out with that stick!
Just finished copy checking the new book (publication imminent) of Eric Hardy's columns from the Daily Post.
It's a real labour of love by David Bryant of the Merseyside Naturalists Association.
Produced by Hobby Publications it features many, many of the great man's features, and is stuffed with newer pictures of birds, plants, sites etc etc.
If you weren't drawn into birding on Merseyside and North Wales by Hardy, then this book'll give you an insight into what all the fuss was about in the days when it was normal to go for a bird on the strength of five day old gen.
If you do remember the golden days of the Countryside column, the book is a pretty neat trip down Memory Lane - and particularly evocative on North Wales.
Before pagers, mobile phones and birdblogs, folk got most of their local info via Hardy either in the Daily Post on a Saturday, or from his programme on Radio Merseyside.
This often meant turning up for birds long after they'd flown, but he did put thousands of folk on to stuff they'd otherwise not see.
Some of his gen was a bit off the wall to say the least (did Three Toed Woodpecker and Tengmalm's Owl really breed in Scotland???), but over the years he built up an indispensable guide to wildlife in Merseyside and further afield.
Worth a look when it comes out.
By the way, tides look mighty fine for seawatching all this week, culminating in some whoppers towards the weekend, could be good at Formby Point.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies ...
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Any IDs on the other folk in the photo, the John Lennon lookalike on right hand side.
Its (Prof) Dave Norman 2nd from Eric. An inspirational bird ringer!
On your peregrine comments later - barn owl and tree sparrow nests have also been interfered with at a Cheshire site [eggs of latter certainly stolen] with illegal netting/capture of songbirds attempted nearby. I strongly suspect this is still being attempted, possibly using tape recorded 'lures' in the north Cheshire area.
I have this evening (02/04/09 ) been standing at the Promenade at Garston end of Otterspool watching what I think may be Harbour Porpoise/small dolphins! Please advise or confirm or inform!
Thanks
Anne
Howdy Anne, your cetaceans will almost certainly be Harbour Porpoises, they do swim upriver as far as Otterspool - and beyond - on occasion. Enjoy!