Last weekend, I was mostly ..

DRINKING - I've been up to South Shields for my brother's 40th with a full suite of family constraints that meant any ideas of enjoying anything wildlife was pretty much a non-starter. Great weekend though, starting with a family barbie on Friday night and then drinking on the sea front at the Sand Dancer on Saturday afternoon.

South Shields beach - looking north to North Shields

South Shields beach - looking south to Marsden

In the early evening we headed to the toon for slightly more poncey alcohol on the quayside in not-my-type of bar (the Baltic and the Pitcher & Piano) and then over to Jesmond for a meal in the As You Like It restaurant after a swift couple in The Carriage. I couldn't be arsed to take a camera out knowing I'd lose it, so crappy phone shots only of a couple of the sights.

The Baltic - ex Flour Mill, Kittiwake nesting site, art gallery and swanky cocktail bar/restaurant

The Gateshead Millenium Bridge

The Sage

The Carriage

We eventually awoke on Sunday morning with a big headache, mirky clag heading in off the sea and rain moving in from inland. We decided to head for home rather than walk along the coast path, though a very quick stop at Marsden Rock to clear the mind produced loads of Kittiwakes, Fulmar, Shags and Cormorants with the odd auk and gull dotted about.

Marsden Rock - within a few minutes walk from my brother's house

Clag

READING - predictable texts from mates who have all gripped back Marmora's Warbler. FFS - first they ambled over the county border to finally catch up on Oriental Pratincole, now this. There is precious little left on my pathetic list to cling onto as some semblance of value to justify why I spent so many hours/pounds fannying about driving all over the place just to see a rarity. What next I wonder - no doubt a Stella's at Titchwell, a Waterthrush at Cley or a Tattler conveniently pottering about at Rutland Water Lagoon 4! Glad I've pretty much packed up twitching - a once or twice a year rarity-based excursion is more than enough these days. Feck, I sound like a Reservoir Cats sketch ....

WATCHING - the superb adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Going Postal that I'd SkyPlus-ed the previous weekend. I knew finally succumbing to the Sky Machine would have a silver lining.

LISTENING - to the superb new release from Pendulum ...