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Saturday 23 October 2021

Donington Church (St Cuthbert's), Albrighton, Shropshire, Britain.

Today we Remembered Jayne.
Trip to Uk, Day Twenty One.
 

Today was the main reason I was back in the UK, so that more of Jayne's family and friends could get together and remember Jayne's life. Most were unable to come to the funeral for obvious reasons. 
So it was good to have the service at Donington church lead by Rev Mary and to see so many people there to listen to the memories of Jayne delivered in a very nice humorous way by her brother Jim, just as Jayne would have liked it.
Later we went to Jayne's favourate place in the village, Next Door Bar for some brilliant food sorted by Sally and her colleagues, a few drinks and to chat, again she would have loved seeing everyone together as it should have been. THANK YOU ALL.

Wednesday 20 October 2021

West Somerton and Winterton Dunes NNR, Norfolk, Britain.

A bit of early birding in the rain and then a walk with Judy and Mike on the Dunes.
Trip to Uk, Day Eighteen.
Ebird List for the Dunes. 

Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).
I was up and about quite early and started the day by watching some very heavy rain blow through from the lounge window but after a while the rain stopped so I went out for a short walk along the Hornsey Road where I started the day list with 2x Egyptian (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca) and lots of Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), several heard only Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).
Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).

Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).

After this walk I went and had breakfast with Judy and Mike and ten we went out for a short walk at Winterton Dunes which was very nice, on the way out we had a few species including 11x Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and a Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) on fields before we parked and during the walk Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Marsh Harrier
Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).

After a while Mike put his chair up and had a sit down and Judy told me where to go to find some of the Atlantic Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) that are quite common along the beaches.
I continued on and found the gape in the dunes through to the beach where I very quickly found dozens of Seals hauled out on the sand, I stayed right at the top of the beach and took some photo's and added Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) to the list before retuning to Mike and Judy.
Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).
Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).
We retraced our steps back towards the car, on the way Judy picked up a very smart ringtail
Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) just before we went into the woods. We returned to the house and had some lunch before I set off back to the midlands. It was great to see Mike and Judy and spend a little bit of time with them.

Tuesday 19 October 2021

Martham Broad NNR, Norfolk, Britain.

Visiting Friends.
Trip to Uk, Day Seventeen.
Ebird List for walk.
 
A distant windpump on the far side of Martham Broad.
I set off early from Albrighton and headed East to the far side of Norfolk, a journey with was supposed to take 3 and a bit hours, so 5.5 hours later I got through the maze of roadworks and arrived at Judy and Mike's near Martham Broad where we spent the rest of the Morning have a catchup and then some lunch.
The first Pump along the walk.
Later I went for a walk out across the fields skirting the edge of the broad and the around to the Hornsey Road and back to the house. Along the first part of the walk I was surprised to see what were probably hundreds of
Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) and several Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) and in the same area Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) and most surprising was a nice male Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) which flew up from the reeds and dropped onto the top of some brambles before diving in to the center of them.
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
I continued on to where I could see the water and found several Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) and on the fields on the opposite side of the track a single Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
Further along the edge of the reeds I could hear but didn't a group of Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus), a calling Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and in the distance over a different part of the Broad I could see large skeins of geese which going by their calls were probably Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus). 
Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).
As I continued on around this part of the loop heading towards Hornsey Road I added
Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),  Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and a very nice European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus).
European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus).
I reached the road and carefully made my way back towards the house as the road was quite busy and the 40MPH limit was advisery by the looks of thngs, as I walked I had 3
Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) fly passed along with Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and 7x Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) which flew across the fields heading for the Broad.
I reached the house again and spent some more time with Judy and Mike before hitting the sack after a long day.

Monday 18 October 2021

Spurn Point, East Yorkshire and Gravel Pits in Nott's, Nottinghamshire, Britain.

Back to Yorkshire and a new species for us all.
Trip to Uk, Day Sixteen.
 
Two-barred (Greenish) Warbler (Mosquitero patigris / Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus).
I arrived at Sharon and John's and we were soon on our way North again but this time we were heading for Spurn Point, a site I have not been to for many years but the chance of a Two-barred (Greenish) Warbler (Mosquitero patigris / Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus) was too much to resist.
We arrived and there were a few birders there but the bird was showing on and off so we got into a spot which looked good and waited, John and Sharon were slightly more into the woodland and had seen the bird quite quickly so I change my spot and went out onto the road and looked into the woods from the outside as there were far less people.
Two-barred (Greenish) Warbler (Mosquitero patigris / Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus).
After a while of watching the Hawthorns and Sycamore's it came into view for just a few seconds but while it was there I had a good view all on my own. Later I moved into the wood a bit more but from the opposite end to where I had been before and ended up getting severl more good sightings and a few record shots.
As I was walking around the wood I also saw House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) x3, Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and just down the road on the coast we added Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) and a couple of Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) out to sea.
Two-barred (Greenish) Warbler (Mosquitero patigris / Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus).
We started to head back south but we diverted of to some Gravelpits in Nottinghamshire where a
Baird's Sandpiper (Correlimos de Baird / Calidris bairdii) had been reported on and off but today it was not going to be seen by us which was a shame as it would have been a second lifer for Sharon.
However we did see Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Canada (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis) and Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and 8x Great Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and a probable Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
Two-barred (Greenish) Warbler (Mosquitero patigris / Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus).
Again another superb day with good friends and birds.