Keeping The Blog Going...Just!

It's been a struggle of late keeping the blog going, and I know it sounds like I'm moaning and making a load of excuses! I shouldn't complain really as I do consider myself lucky in managing to make a living from the natural environment, but when I'm busy (as any Ecologist will know) it does prevent me from getting out on the patch! And that's what it has been like of late, and for the next few weeks, all work and no play!

I had a survey earlier in the week on a farm close to Kirkby Stephen and it is a cracking farm in a beautiful setting, but every time I go it seems to be cold, birdless and bleak! It wasn't much different this time and the survey of some recently planted woodland was not unexpectedly lacking in birds. The highlights being a Siskin, a Mistle Thrush, eleven Lesser Redpolls, a Grey Wagtail and two Curlews. Other surveys this past week were even quieter than this one, so I won't tire you with the details!

Consequently after a week of 4:00 am starts I sacrificed weekend birding for a couple of lie-ins, although me and my good lady did manage a walk down to the estuary to blow the cobwebs away.

 The Estuary

Amongst the grassland bordering the estuary were a number of Large 

Skippers.

This coming week I've got more bird surveys from north Cumbria down to Cheshire and then towards the end of the week we are Orkney bound for a weeks holiday, so I am looking forward to that. So at the moment I am keeping the blog going, but only just!