The Bus Trip

When I was at Hauxley on Thursday I might have been mistaken but I am sure

I spotted a  12 Seater Minibus in the Car Park which could have had a

WWT Washington logo on the side.  Now of course I could have been wrong

and as all of you know I have had the odd bird identity crisis in the past and even

typing the wrong name in although I have seen the right bird (if that makes sense,

well it does to my poor addled brain).  So whilst proceeding around Hauxley I did

notice the odd exotica bird or 2, these included (BAD PHOTO WARNING - if you 

react to these please turn away now):

7 Bar-headed Geese (all the way from Central Asia)

 Egyptian Goose (all the way from, I am not actually sure, but suspect the clue is in the name)

Swan Goose (Mongalian/Chinese)

Red-breasted Goose (Hails from Russia/Black Sea area) (my favourite)

There was also a White-fronted Goose there but although I saw it I didn't get a picture as

my camera was busy doing other things at the time (Black-winged Pratincole).  Now if my

maths are correct (must be as I work in Funding and Databases in Education, just like that

nice man Michael Gove) that would be 7 Bar-headed, an Egyptian, the Swannie and the

stunning red-head + the driver and that would be a 12 seater Minibus.  So even if my 

Sherlock Holmes reasoning is wrong (but I doubt it) I would just like to thank WWT

Washington for keeping Hauxley ticking along in the quite months of June and July

(when a lot of birders heads are being turned by Odanata and timorous beasties) with

some gorgeous looking birds.

Now being serious for a change as someone yesterday reminded me that lists are a personal

thing, all of the above (with the exception of one) are now on my Year List along with this

little beauty (well I say beauty but if you look at the Red Head above there is no comparison)

and if this one can get from its home to Geordie Land why cant the Red Head as they both

hail from the same area and tweet with the same accent (just like them nice guys from South

of the Tyne do).

Well, its time to go and look at my Moth Trap and see if I can recognise more than I don't recognise (not much chance there so will have to go to Howick on National Moth Day to see Stewart and the professionals do it) then off to Howdon Wetlands and then to the proper patch (Big Waters in case you don't know) and see if the Green Sandpiper has returned (or the Greenshank as I wrote in the book in another of my dizzy moments

(GB will give me a right roasting for that error, or a nice talk, he is such a gentleman))

Well thats the end of another meandering session BYE

ps.  Go on Alan, you know you want to, there is a Red Head waiting at Hauxley for you