Portobello Beach Edinburgh Day 303

- Morning.
- Morning.
- Don't look now but we are being blipped.
- Where?
- Over there - see that old codger with the camera gasping for breath.
- Oh yeah, but that's a daily occurence here you know!
- Let's pretend that we haven't noticed.
- OK .
- Have you heard the latest tweet?
- No.
- Well there was this white-throated needletail on Harris.
- Are they those dead rare birds that breed in Asia and spend the winters in Australasia?
- Yes and very infrequently fly to our Outer Hebrides.
- Oh yes like the one spotted there on Wednesday which is claimed to be the fastest bird in level flight reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph.
- Bit faster than us then.
- Just a bit!
- What happened then?
- The white-throated needletail flew into a domestic wind turbine and was killed instantly.
- Oh that was bad luck - best be careful where we fly today then.
- Yeah.