Profanisaurus.

By the time I’d managed to get the stupid suction thingy for the SatNav attached to the windscreen this morning, I had used up my full December quota of expletives and profanities – just stick why don’t ya !@!**!! arrghhhh!!!
The air was blue. Roger Mellie would have been proud.
It wasn’t as if I was setting off on a major twitch or anything, I only wanted to get to Winery Lane in Walton-le-Dale without getting lost in the Preston traffic system – was that too much to ask?
Initially I’d thought about checking the tideline between Ainsdale and Birkdale for Snow Buntings (there were two there in the week, but I didn’t see them), however the tide was kinda high, and walking along there with the water right in just spooks all the birds.
Another time perhaps – so Winery Lane and the infuriating SatNav suction cup fiasco it was.

I should point out at this stage that while there is no winery there (something of a downer), there is a fine sewage farm and I wanted to call in for several reasons – I’ve never been to Walton-le-Dale and it sounds a bit “Robin Hood” doesn’t it?, Winery Lane has “wine” in it of course, and most importantly, I like Firecrests.
An hour later and there was just one or two folk about as I walked to the end of Winery Lane and scanned the trees and bushes around the entrance to the sewage works – there were plenty of Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Grey Wags, zipping about after the hordes of midges that sites like this inevitably attract.

After a few minutes of scanning the branches the wintering Firecrest popped up, darting around the trees making the Goldcrests look decidedly shabby.
It would hurtle about, hovering and flycatching just off the public footpath, before melting away into the trees again.

A lovely little thing.
I spent an hour or so on and off with the bird – when it was out of sight, the Goldcrests and Chiffies provided great entertainment, gorging on midges just inches away…
I could have stayed there all day, but I had to get the @!!*!!/* SatNav off the windscreen.