Brawn & Brents

Jenson '2009 World F1 Champion' Button

Apart from having slapped in to represent GB in the decathlon at the 2012's, I'm not what you'd call an avid sports fan. However, around about the time I first heard of Lewis Hamilton, my mate, the afore mentioned Mr Lindsay, and I had a bit of a chat on the subject of Formula One, particularly as even then there were rumours about the British Grand Prix being moved from Silverstone to Donnington Park. This is naught but a stone's throw from his house, and I was already making a bid for accommodation should that day ever arrive. Since then I have shown a little more interest, and when Button put in such fine performances at the beginning of this years series, it started to take hold. This is why I am posting my own small tribute to him and the Brawn Team. What a day, what a race, what a tearful end to a brilliant moment in sporting history?

A tearful Ross Brawn

Mark Webber - OK son two wins are enough!

It would be caddish to pay the above tribute without mentioning the eventual winner of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Mark Webber. Especially with my obvious Antipodean connections, so that's one for you Bernard, Lisa & Frederick, and one for me - but don't let it happen again!

Podium Brazilian Grand Prix - Robert Kubica 2nd, Mark Webber winner, Lewis Hamilton 3rd

Brent Geese - grounded at Ferrybridge

There were nearly 6x as many Brents at low water Ferrybridge today with a count of 536, plus a single Black Brant, while Mediterranean Gull numbers stood at 37. Before that, I'd seen and heard a Golden Plover fly over at Barleycrates, where there were also 2 Reed Bunting plus 6 each of Stonechat and Chiffchaff. There were, as usual, 3 Kestrels but today's observation included some strange behaviour I had never witnessed before. Initially, one of the raptors was seen carrying a fairly long tailed, small rodent which, at perch, it soon devoured. It then alighted in the adjacent field and proceeded to act Secretarybird like, stalking prey on the ground. It soon caught another rodent, but it should be mentioned that throughout the stalk it made quiet, single noted rodent type squeaks. As something of a bonus, a Sooty Shearwater was also seen at the Bill.














Kestrel in Barleycrates Field - impersonating a Secretarybird

Brent Geese - Black Brant 13th from the left!!!!

Brent Geese - put to flight by bait diggers

Skein of Brent Geese - heading down the Fleet, what an awesome sight?