LANCS: In the Pink.

Pink-footed Geese near Martin Mere WWT, October 2008.

"There's a man in our skip!". I was just expecting to see some bloke leaning over the edge of the skip sifting through our discarded garage contents when Mrs B. uttered these words yesterday morning. But no, sure enough, there was a man IN our skip. Thankfully he hadn't just been dumped there after a night on the ale and he was moving. After politely asking about his intentions I let him get on with his business for the next few minutes before he disappeared, probably to the next goldmine in front of some unsuspecting local resident's property. Various local kids and passing gents found it proper to inspect the skip contents throughout the day before Mrs B and I had the opportunity to take a local walk in the hope of a few birds. On an afternoon where expectations were not too high it was nice to at least see the first Pink-footed Geese of the autumn near Hesketh Bank. A grounded group of 22 birds fed on the marshes as 4 "wink-winking" birds headed south east overhead. A Ruff was about the only new bird to add to the recent list of species for this area, an individual that confirmed the demise of my camera as I haplessly attempted to capture the moment.
Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, 7 Little Egrets, 45 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Greenshank and 23 Wigeon made it into the notebook on a splendid afternoon. Mrs B. found a lampshade in a field as we scanned for Golden Plovers. "Obviously about to plant bulbs" was my answer to her quizzical comment. You'd think she'd know better after more than twenty years of marriage, wouldn't you?

I see there is a female Red-headed / Black-headed Bunting at Galley Head in Cork today. Apparently it is in Shite Lane. Has to be a wind-up surely? Isn't that where Spurs play?