Himself seems to be taking so long to get some things sorted, that I’ve
decided to take over the reins this week.
The first piece of news at last, is that the mementos to Christine and Amanda, recipients of the first 200 club awards, have both now been
made. David put out the challenge in 2016, and by October, the ladies seeing
that 200 species in the year was achievable and encouraged by their respective
halves coincidentally both logged 201 species.
The trophies were made by Original Monkey, a fascinating little business
in Markeaton Park (Derby) craft village. They make some quite unique gifts.
Google the name for their web site.
These are the “awards” they received, on appropriately shaped plaques.....
What else? Oh yes, I gather the BWB walk last Sunday went well, even if having
28 people seemed a bit OTT. David was pleased to see the Great Northern Diver even if I gather there was some initial doubt as to whether it was a
duck or a grebe (I don’t know the difference!). He told me that a pair of
Goosanders was unusual, but you know what he’s like with stats. His archives recorded one on the BWB walk in January 2014. So?
I have been informed that “Merganser, Goosander and Smew”, is not a firm
of Bakewell Solicitors, but are the 3 Sawbills seen this year.
What is special about the Gruff? He keeps seeing it – can it fly, or is
it like a Slavonian Grebe or a Ruddy Duck he knows, neither of which can? He
said it was camouflaged by the mud. Sensible bird. (Oh sorry – Ruff.)
Monday 3rd July, he’s booked the Wash cruise from Boston.
12.15 start so he will not leave Derby too early, but I think as it will be sort
of 4pm finish, he may stop over and have a day at Frampton, or Gibraltar Point,
or somewhere like that. The trip briefly
touches the Wash, but is mainly river, and David usually comes home with a list
of c50. Good trip, he tells me, so contact him if you want to know more, or go
with him.
Unlike the Shearwater Cruise from Bridlington (which he will also be
going on) which only runs in September, the Boston Belle trips run from May to
Oct. www.southhollandcentre.co.uk
I don’t expect many of you know of Jim Craw, a Carsington Volunteer who
joined in 2006 and who tops up the Carsington bird feeders every week, plus
checking the hides regularly, and a dozen and one other jobs. David was very
sad to hear that he is retiring after 10 years due to poor health. Jim is a
Glaswegian, giving David some interpretation issues!
Monday 6th
February. Now why won’t he come out and admit he’s is a bit of a twitcher? Here we are, Monday 13.45 and he gets a
report of Waxwings in Derby. Woomf…gone, and not even a kiss. By my books,
that’s a twitcher, although he says he only twitches in Derbyshire. The
difference being?
Still, he came back smiling, having seen 25 Waxwings which increased to 40 when two flocks merged. 5 minutes after he
arrived they’d gone “which justified my going when I did!!!”
Tuesday 7th
February, and a day at Rutland Water accompanied by John and
Chris. They listed c53 birds, with 3 new ones for his list, of which one was a
Lifer. David spotted a long white neck and an orange dagger beak, poking up
over the reeds, that’s a Great
White Egret on the list.
After lunch, Lagoon 2
yielded up a good number of Red
Crested Pochards . David recalled the first time he
saw them close at Slimbridge (is that the same Slim Bridge who keeps adding
comments on the blog????), and noticed that when they dive the crest/crown
compacts, so that their heads do not become water-logged (i.e. like a busby).
When they surface, the crown spreads back out. Fascinating, but can someone
please tell me whether it’s a Pochard - och as in (h)ock(ey), och as in
k(osh)a, or och as in (sc)otch?
Oh and the lifer, which someone told them about, but Chris found it, was
a Glaucous Gull on Lagoon No 4.
Right, that’s me done…. He can resume his diatribes from next week.
TTFN Mary.
Having recovered from the shock, sorry, pleasant surprise, that yet another male bastion has fallen to the monstrous regiment....., albeit temporarily, I feel I must tentatively offer a few corrections.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right about "Merganser, Goosander and Smew" but Gruff Ruff? Is this a new addition to the British List?
But the reference to 'twitcher', with or without a kiss, is misplaced. Wikipedia has it that; 'The term twitcher, sometimes misapplied as a synonym for birder, is reserved for those who travel LONG distances.....
Slimbridge is of course, the well-known wetlands centre. Slim Bridge is an even better-known denizen of the blogosphere. And Pochard is och as in (sc)otch.
Having said all this, I would give the 'female perspective' a 7, although Craig Revel-Horwood may only give it a grudging 2.