First Spring Migrant

I love this time of year; the temperatures are starting to approach double figures, the sunshine has a hint of warmth to it and it's already daylight when I fall out of bed in the mornings. Winter is ending and spring is fast approaching. Happy days!

For me, nothing heralds the arrival of spring more strongly than finding my first summer migrant of the year. I love the anticipation and guesswork, wondering which species will be the first to arrive. Chiffchaff or Lesser Black-backed Gull? Sand Martin or White Wagtail? And of course, it won't be much longer until I'll be hearing the calls of high-flying Pink-footed Geese and the honks of Whooper Swans as they return to their breeding grounds in the north. This is an exciting, dynamic time of year.

Back to finding incoming summer migrants: it's all about knowing where to look. Years of experience has taught me that amongst the wrack lines of a beach is a great place to check for freshly arrived migrants. Alone, hungry and in need of rest. True to form, it was a wrack line that delivered the goods for me today. Behold...

A freshly arrived migrant Highland Coo

Following on from that bit of nonsense, have some toons on me. This is a snippet of some of the stuff that I listen to whilst getting ever closer to finishing the confounded painting of the hotel. Of course, once the interior areas are finished, I get to make a start on the exterior. Yay...

I think it's fair to say that I do not hold our cousins across the pond in particularly high regard, especially since they voted in that shitshow-running prick for a second time. I mean, really? However I have included two American bands below, but only because they're famously anti-government and militantly left-wing. As ever, I hope you enjoy!