Zzzzzzz...

You know when you have to get up and your eyes just dont want to stay open..well i was like that this morning. I couldnt believe it was 06:30am and my hubby was up before me on a saturday too (its his lie-in day usually)..but he wanted to see if the little egret was still at Hauxley lower pond. So it was up and out and away. But, Ive got to admit im pleased we were out early, what a beautiful warm sunny morning, the sea was like a millpond it was so calm. When we arrived at the lower pond the hide was already occupied by an elderly gentleman with a huge lurcher. The hide isnt very big to start with, so this was going to be a bit of a squash..but the dog and its owner decided to leave and go walkies! The little egret was showing really well walking and feeding round the edge of the water. He was chased off a couple of times by a grey heron, but he came back each time. 30+ greylags - 20+ oyster catchers - sandwich tern - common tern. Theres also a female mallard with 4 chicks who was being harrassed by a male shelduck who also has 6 chicks on the other side of the pond. I hate to see the babies being attaced by adults it seems so cruel eventhough my hubby says its 'just nature'..sorry i cant watch..i suppose its the 'maternal instinct' in me..exit me. Had a couple more hours up and around hauxley, druridge and cresswell, then it was home again as we were invited to a wedding party up in St James, the hallowed ground...yawn, but we did have an excellent and really nice day birding. Just hope today and the weather is just as good..and a quick look out of the window i think it should be...