You spend a whole winter managing habitat, clearing scrub and cleaning up vast areas, only to see a (sub)human tide surge in as soon as the climatically-screwed North Atlantic weather system drops its first skewball heatwave of the year onto the coast.
When the inevitable human tide ebbs, it leaves tons of debris, fires, habitat destruction and litter that can only make you wonder at the levels of conceit and selfishness that exist within our species.
Am I going all Travis Bickle in my old age?
Probably.
Do I have a solution?
Yeah, but you don't wanna hear it.
Probably time to hand the planet over to the ants, or better still, monkeys (ask the boys, I really like monkeys).
After three solid days of cleaning up an infinity of crap left behind on our SSSI coast, minor payback came today in the form of a cracking female Black Redstart, quivering away just north of Sands Lake - a lovely find by Ralph Jones, who deserves nothing less, as he diligently birds the area before work most mornings.
If you squint really hard at the "point and press" shot above, you can just about make out the Black Red on the fenceline.
Went back to look for her again at lunchtime, in the hope of getting a proper pic, but there was no sign - such is the nature of migration.
Earlier the sustained passage of Siskins and Redpolls in the clear blue skies pre-9am continued northwards for its second day, and Redwings were sighing in the trees at Dempsey Towers, where Commas, Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshell are doing their thang.
Chiffies singing everywhere, and as we started the clean-up operation on the Green Beach, John Gramauskas managed to spring trap a female Wheatear - but the sexy male she was with could not be tempted by the wormy treats in the trap, and the pair soon disappeared off north.
Dave Pennington had a good evening yesterday, with Natterjacks singing in several areas along the coast, and Sand Lizards joining the Common Lizards on favoured dunes.
And thanks to Ron Jackson for his latest link to YouTube footage - this time of Hawfinch at Sizergh Castle (watch it here) - the car park there seems to be the place to watch these crackers nowadays, unless you head up the Conway Valley.
Almost forgot about Paco Pena - after another mental day, try listening to him outdoors, as the heat bleeds from the sun, and the flamenco genius competes with the songs of Blackbird, Dunnock, Wren etc.
It works for me.
Not familiar with Paco?
Do not pass "Go".
Do not collect £200.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Adult Osprey heading north east over the Bazzobunker in Southport, escorted by gulls at 1540 today - eyes to the skies!!!
Paco's back on Hope St in Nov.