Barney`s spring hair cut

Lade - 0630hrs - mild, sunny, dry, sw 2 - A quick walk over to south pit before doing breakfasts resulted in three singing Whitethroats, my first of the year on the local patch. Several Swallows and Med Gulls over during the afternoon.
Dungeness - 0900hrs - An hour in the seawatch hide delivered a steady up-Channel passage of birds plus plenty of Sandwich and Common Terns coming and going from the Patch. Counts for the hour as follows: Black-throated Diver 1, Fulmar 1, Gannet 10, Brent Goose 50, Common Scoter 150, Little Gull 20. Highlights from earlier this morning included single figures of Arctic and Great Skuas, plus three Velvet Scoters.

                                Winter plumage

                               

                                Summer plumage

Lade - Mrs PT decided it was high time Barney had his spring spruce-up, so out came the clippers and scissors and off came his winter coat. Everything went like clockwork until we`d finished and then the old boy went awol as he knew what was coming next - his bi-annual bath!! Eventually I grabbed the beast, wrestled him down and into the bath where Mrs PT went to work with the shampoo and shower. Result, one shiny new Border Terrier in summer plum smelling of lavender!

                                Give a dog a bone