Count down to 2018

I did mention Brian Wood retiring in my blog last week, but I have only just received this photo of Brian with his wife Elaine…

…………… and a close up of the montage.

  

Wednesday December 13^th.

When I start writing my blog, sometimes my mind goes off in a direction that I think is interesting or amusing, and will be well worth developing for your enjoyment, and sometimes, it goes pear shaped.  That was the case to-day- it went pear shaped, and must be best described as a Senior Moment.

So (oh gawd, I DO try and not start a sentence with “so”.. have you noticed how often interviewees do start with that awful word. Take the Apprentice..Alan S. “How did you decide who would be the project leader?” Reply” so we asked for volunteers…..”. Who chose the item to sell? “So we got together….” Da de da.)

So I stand to be corrected. But I think the use of so in my blog is very, very rare.

Anyway, quick burst on the delete and back space buttons, and I’m on last Wednesday with a Billy No Mates visit to Attenborough. Still with a Bittern in the cross hairs of my scope for 2017, it’s down to the Kingfisher hide for the first searching session.  I chatted to a couple of birders “on tour” from Shipley, one of them never having seen a Bittern, but he did spot a Kingfisher heading across wheatear Field.

Nottingham WT have done some good work clearing back the area in front of the Kingfisher hide, leaving some mud and a few reeds, and I was able to point out to people in the hide, a Water Rail probing for food in a small clump of reeds. Suddenly it came out of the reeds, with a fish in it’s beak which it dropped on to the bank, and set about eating it. First time I’ve ever seen a Water Rail having lunch!

A visit to the tower hide followed, and apart from displaying Goldeneyes nothing special to a report.

After a quick role call (Ed; Slim Bridge will notice the correction!!), of 41 species, it was off to the visitor centre for a large Jacket potato with Tuna.

One final notable spot was as I was walking back down the ramp, the Shipley visitors were panning anticlockwise round and behind the visitor centre, tracking a Kingfisher which I locked on to as it vanished in the same area I reported last week, opposite the rear of the Kingfisher hide. The hide name seems very apt.

Other news – Lorna has moved on to 208 for the year (so far!) by braving the weather and the terrain at Upper Derwent Valley, and added Parrot Crossbill to her list, to take her on to 208. Well done.

Bit disappointed when I popped into the London Camera Exchange (LCE) to see what they had in in the way of moderate priced scopes, the sort of thing beginners would want, or even s/h ones. Very sorry to see that the approach was to say that they could get anything, but stock to view was virtually Nil. I was told it was because birders were more inclined to go to birding locations with Optics shops, like Slimbridge, Carsington, Rutland, where they could see a greater range, and try them out in the field.  LCE is now very much a camera centre, with some binoculars, but to be able demonstrate a range of scopes, would cost and tie up a lot of money.

But they do give a good service, and they do part exchange if you are upgrading, which is very useful.

I'll end this week blog with a picture to remind you of very dried out Carsington, as hopefully some pumping will start soon, and you do not have to see Carsington-on-Mud!

2018     and dates for your diary/phone!    

Looking forward, the first Carsington Beginners walk in 2018 will be on the 7^th January, at 10.00am, 

and the blog that I post on that date will be a memorable 100^th post…Why?   Time will tell, but finding bird news for the next 2 weeks will be fun!!

Also, the following Sunday, 14^th January will be my one-off morning walk away from Carsington, again at Attenborough from 9.30 > 12.30, meeting at the visitor centre car park. Bittern and Water Rail are on the menu agenda.

Also, the first Markeaton walk will be (as always-) on the third Sunday, 21^st January 2018, when we also plan to make some nest boxes and bird feeders

No sign of Waxwings yet?? Well not in numbers.  1 in East Sussex yesterday!!!

OK… Next Blog Xmas Eve!!!

David