This time last year

This exact time last year we were begining to suffer the worst of the 'Beast from the East'  from Russia.   How fickle is the UK weather and how short our memories.  Spring is definitely in the air now going by the buzz in nature all around.

Much excitable dancing and prancing, bickering and fighting,  riffling and canoodling is in evidence everywhere.   Blue tits and Dunnocks are the loudest songsters currently outstaging other species against a backgound of constant goldfinch chatter.

          Male and female foxes are noticably  visible day and night as they noisely search for mates.

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to attend another of the excellent natural sciences all day workshop at Liverpool World Museum, this time on  'Shorebirds'.   Unlike passerines which  predominently look like "little brown jobs",  shorebirds are white/grey speckly things with short or long legs and beaks.  One could despair at trying to get the  differences sorted, but actually it does not really matter as they are all wonderful to watch without knowing what they they are.

After a detailed presentation we get to view close up the collection of preserved specimens held by the musuem.  Although sad viewing it is  visually the best way to sort  out the differences of size and plummage  between similiar looking birds.  They are also useful  references for sketching.