SINGING STONECHAT

The car had to have new brake pads and an MOT test today, and after I picked it up I couldn't resist a quick drive down to the dunes at the end of Smelly Factory Road. Its real name is Zinc Works Road, which isn't much better, and there's no longer a zinc works down there. The smelly factory produces food additives and flavourings, and the horrible smell is reason enough to avoid such things. Despite the chill there were a few butterflies, mostly Blues, and birds attracted by a patch of seed that seems to be thrown onto one of the footpaths for them each day. This stonechat was singing about it, and there was a whole family of linnets (youngsters in extra), as well as an opportunist onlooker (extra) making periodic raids across the path to the seed pile.