Took a virgin to Liverpool and only got a yank!

.... and a few year ticks, but that would have ruined the subtelty of the innuendo.

Spoke to Mr Lethbridge about a certain gull that had some how managed to lose its way to New Brighton, on the off-chance that he would like to drive me in comfort for six plus hours. "It's a gull", his reply which was stating the obvious, but it turns out he has overdosed on gulls in the last few weeks with his jolly to the Emirates. So down to me then.  I looked at the trains and shuddered, but as the week progressed my want got the better of me and I caved in about tea time on Friday.

Luckily no one was on the train, due to some last minute cancellation of track maintenance around Watford, though the few that were made up for numbers in their annoyingness - including the guard you was determined to use "there" as punctuation in every sentence.  Nearly ruined the trip.

What also nearly ruined the trip was meeting the dip Monkey and Lee "indoorstoomuch" Brown, but luckily neither was living up to their monicas, and the gull was still present and at times showing stupidly well.  While they went off and returned to form, dipping Snow Bunting just a couple of miles down the coast, and a host of ducks, I had rather a good day.  Would have been better with a bit more sun, but then you have to think about your whites, so probably just as well it was grim up north.

Spent the morning chasing the lachrymose gull around from the beach to its favoured pontoon, where it stuck obstinately clear of my offering of toasted peanut butter sandwiches, and around the basin where it would have brief sorties to try and make friends with the local Black-headed Gull.  Finally nailed it big time on one of these little wanderings and that's when it would have been nice to have a bit of light.

Having filled up a good deal of my memory card with a whole heap of gull looking distracted and bored, I thought I'd have a go at them buntings.  The news wasn't good as in most of the birders I met had failed to meet up with them.  Nothing ventured and all that tosh...

Luckily a couple I'd met had had better luck and been put on to the two birds feeding just below the sea wall in the strand line.  I joined them just as the sun put in a brief appearance, absolute joy.

Still having a few hours to kill before my train and with the sun still shining on and off, I thought I'd pap the gull in some good light. that didn't happen so I went to look for Purple Sandpiper instead.  Bingo, job done with four birds partying with some Turnstone, south of Perch Fort on the concrete breakwater thingy, as the tide came in.

A good day so I got seriously drunk on the train....