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Red-throated diver, Dawlish Warren November 2018

Well, we have another lockdown on the near horizon, which comes as no surprise, sadly. I've spent the past few weeks whizzing round trying to fit in as much as I can before the curtain comes back down again while trying to avoid silly risks.

During the first lockdown I became heartily sick of dodging bodies and barbecues along the Mersey Valley. This time it'll be different as people will be still in work or at school (this isn't the place for my views on that). We also know a lot more about the transmission of the virus so I think it should be safe to use the local rail service for the five or ten minute off-peak journey to Flixton or Irlam for an occasional change. So, weather permitting (possibly regardless some days), I should be able to get out for a walk and a bit of birdwatching. Which is good as in the absence of so many other things I've come to depend on it this year as something to hang onto. I'm fortunate that I'm pretty much antisocial so I've not suffered as much as most people this year but it's still been a struggle at times.

So that leaves the next three days. I was thinking about going over to Pennington Flash today but then I started worrying that the Trafford Centre would be heaving with people doing last minute Christmas shopping and I didn't want to get entangled in that en route (a good call: the reports are that it was very busy indeed). In the end I couldn't be bothered going out and tomorrow is another day.