A good end to a non-birding week

It’s been a funny old week, in fact no bird watching until to-day when I did my Markeaton walk for Beginners.

I must confess to being very involved in turning my new Engineers tool box into a display box for my renowned collections of legs, my diminishing collection of sugar tongs, (some of which have already been consigned to a fine art auction in January), and a range of badges of one sort or another.

The first 6 trays now include the majority of the legs, and has involved cutting sections to drop in each leg. This is best illustrated by the following photo of one drawer.

In the case of the sugar tongs collection, a collection which peaked at 94 Tongs (or nips as they also get called), as they look at their best when you can view the edge, I have had to adapt a drawer by adding dowel rails, so that the tongs can be hung over the dowel thereby showing the interesting edge. 

Again, a photo best explains.

What other news?

First, I see Slim Bridge has added a couple of blog replies. As usual, my comprehensive and full (-at least 17 years old-) records, show that he saw the Snow Buntings and Shore Larks, at Skegness in a Saturday in February 2001, probably at about 12.30!!

Also, a PS from last week, a photo of the Turnstone with the iffy foot.

Having been to the Derby hospital this week for a scan, we’ll start with TRIVIA of the week. 

That was an experience…” Drink a pint of water, 30 minutes before the scan”.  The nurse checks me on arrival and when she finds I am allergic to the contrast injection to show up on the scan, she gives me a further pint of liquorice tasting liquid, and I’m told to drink that (as well) in the next 45 minutes. “You can use the loo………………….. “Gangway!!!!!”

Sorry – TRIVIA. The Stethoscope was invented in France in 1816 (200 years ago last year). It was invented by a doctor who was uncomfortable placing his ear on women's chests to hear heart sounds.

A good friend over the years, Brian Woods, is a fellow volunteer at Carsington Water, and joined just 3 months after me, 20 years ago. I heard this week that as he is turning XX years, he is hanging up his Litter Picker. Brian has worked many hours as a Volunteer, and as a good carpenter, he has built many wooden structures including nest boxes and feeding stations for Carsington, and for other places. He was very thorough and produced excellent quality work. 

An Otter holt was one major task, and working together with Alan, and then with Jim, he was a great asset to the Volunteers, and to Severn Trent. I know he kept a scrap book of his achievements, and he had many photos of the tasks he carried out He and I attended a number of ceremonies to collect awards won by the Volunteer Rangers.

He will be missed, as will his wife Elaine, who is a keen birder and butterfly counter.

Sunday 19^th November. The Markeaton Bird Watching for Beginners walk was probably the best of the year, with 31 species, and 3 new additions to the year list. The 4 birders universally picked Redwing as BOD, helped by having excellent views through my scope, of the red rump and the eye stripe.

A nice male Bullfinch and a Jay were the other new additions, and a Green Woodpecker plus 

Goldcrests added to the enjoyment of the people very new to bird watching. Next walk is Sunday 17^th December.

Someone has been doing some artistic carving on some of the dead tree stumps around the park, and they are quite fun to see. This is an example, and I’ll try and get more on the next walk.

Sunday December 3^rd for the next Carsington walk.

Happy Birding