Oh for the wings

for the wings of a Dove and I would have scored the half century on Saturdays Prestwick Carr count. Out early and got some reasonable views of a big bird before it headed off northwest. Around me hundreds of Fieldfare with a smattering of Redwing and the odd Mistle and Song Thrush completed that set. The tits were also out in abundance (can I say that) with only Marsh missing (I am currently a Bearded tit!). The flooding brought Black, headed, Herring and Common Gulls an unexpected Redshank along with a flock of 150 Lapwing and a couple of Curlew. There were plenty of duck noises from Mallard and Teal although few to be seen in the grass. Overhead passed three Common Redpoll with Greenfinch and Chaffinch at the golf course and a single Bullfinch at Mayfair Cottage. Crows and Jackdaws aplenty but only the odd Rook. Flocks of Starling and spuggies going about their business. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker accompanied a few hundred Woodpigeon emerging from the wood. Two Mute Swans on the pond and a Buzzard perched on a fence post brought me to 49 so I returned home with the almost guarantee of a Collared Dove...................no such luck so much as I expect will be happening in Brisbane on Thursday........so close but so far away.

Sunday turned out grey and wet and with the windscreen wipers on my car doing a go slow I paid my respects to a fine, not so old lady. Canny superstructure and a clean line to the stern. That's what I like in my women.

Once again the English lower the flag prematurely and don't have the gumption to stand by their best inventions (Harrier follows Concorde) and symbols of status. (Ark Royal follows Britannia). God we're crap. Third world here we come...........