The 9 o'clock News....

....well nearly 9 o'clock. And now take a good look at the pic above and be really honest with yourself about your ID skills until you reach the end of my post....and if it makes you feel any better I think it would have taken me a while too.

A change of days for us today as I was out with JB/BT instead of Friday, as a consequence my weakening brain will tell me its Saturday tomorrow. We also changed the schedule because of the state of the tide but at least that went towards easing the monotony of the same routine, though the birds are never monotonous.

At Conder Green - where once again the place was rapidly becoming entirely water - a Spotted Redshank, a Goldeneye, and c.135 Common Gulls were all on Conder Pool, and by the way JB's records won't tally with mine again today as they will be much more in depth. On Jeremy Lane 10 Whooper Swans, and on Moss Lane 9 Whooper Swans, these swan numbers are rarely the same two visits alike.

As we sped down the A588 - I think BT thinks he's Jenson Button sometimes - a Barn Owl was hunting the field opposite Wrampool House, and in a field opposite a Barnacle Goose was in the company of 2 Mute Swans and I was later to be reliably informed this was a case of AWOL from somewhere or other. At Braides scrapes a disappointing emptiness save c.100 Curlew in the distance below the embankment, plus 2 Little Egrets in flight, and 2 Brown Hares, another 3 Brown Hares were seen from Gulf Lane as was a Merlin and 2 Little Owls....do these LO's ever breed in these 'boxes'? Off Pilling Lane Ends 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew west at around high tide.

John Batemans image of the Little Owl....thanks John. Someone said to him on the LDBWS website that it was good to see he was back birding again to which John replied that it was....if only at slow speed. We had a good day John, thanks for your company. 

I would never have believed I would ever....not ever post a picture like this and certainly not on Birds2blog but this blew me away when it was placed in front of me on the table this evening by three birds I've known for ages.

OK so its my birthday, big deal....but the cake is brilliant....isn't it? And by the way the bird at the head of this post is a hybrid drake Mallard x Pintail with my thanks to Chris Batty for both the pic and the ID.