The Lull before the storm? I hope!

As the saying goes “You live and learn”, but the trouble is, sometimes you don’t.   Like going in the garden and cutting down bushes or climbing ladders, when you have a bad back.   Stupid boy!

But I did learn something this week, that had puzzled me for a long time, and I now understand.

It concerns some charities, like the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. When I visit a WWT site (but not  an RSPB site surprisingly) and ask for “one concession please”, I am always asked if I wish to Gift Aid my payment. After replying in the affirmative, I am shown a notice which tells me that the charge is 10% HIGHER if I pay with Gift Aid. 

And this is my dilemma – I thought that if the charity is going to benefit by claiming back the income tax content, why do I have to pay more.

From an exchange of letters in the Daily Telegraph (which I was not a party to this time) I found that for a charity payment to be treated as a donation (and thus qualify for Gift Aid), one option is for the charity to charge an extra 10%, and tax legislation then perceives the whole entry fee to be treated as a donation, and this fully qualifying for Gift Aid.

I was going to illustrate with some figures but decided that tax advice was outside the terms of reference for my blog!!   All I will say, is that if you are a higher rate tax payer, and your payment qualifies for Gift Aid, YOU are also entitled to some tax relief at the higher tax rate.     And not a lot of people know that!

Tuesday March 20^th I was scheduled to go birding with Chris, but due to the absolute mayhem on the west and south of Nottingham first thing in the morning due to overrun road works, Chris finally threw in the towel after 2 hours. Can’t blame her, so I went to Cromford and had the satisfaction of spotting a Dipper a little way up river from the church. I gather Chris went off south west later in the morning to try and find the Great Grey Shrike at Owthorpe but to no avail.

Saturday 24^th March, I decided to do a Volunteer duty at Carsington, and manned the wildlife centre for 5 hours.   Not exactly a busy day, but over 100 people dropped in, so I found plenty to chat to, and to chat about.

The handsome male Scaup was still very visible, and the GN Diver was true to form off Stones Island and seen well from the Janet Ede Hide.

Oh, well I suppose adding one = 126 will have to suffice, until the summer avalanche starts!!

Just enough room to pop in a few dates and commercials, in case you missed them.

Carsington  (All bookable via Reception)

            Next Sunday, April 1^st    Usual monthly BwB walk    10.00am.

            Extra walk April 8, 10.00am, another BwB and another chance to see a possible returning Osprey

            Tuesday April 27, 6.00pm  Bird walk in conjunction with Carsington Bird Club, looking for Yellow Wagtails.

Markeaton

            Sunday April 15   Markeaton Park BwB    10.30am Book via Derby Live, or Friends of Markeaton web site.

Frampton Marsh

            Sunday MAY 27.  Advance notice of first ever Carsington BwB away-day. Meeting at RSPB Frampton Marsh 10.00am (Finish c4pm) More info, e-mail Davidmjb@outlook.com.   Own transport.

Happy Birding

Silver and Seaweed, Free on the NHS !!

Yet another strange week. You could be forgiven for wondering why there is not much factual reporting of my birding activities, but it’s simple…. There ain’t been any.

I think the weather has taken its toll, and unless you are once again running for membership of the 200 club, it’s easier to take the soft option.

Trouble is health has hindered. I did something to my back at Wombwell Ings when I climbed through some scaffolding fencing to avoid the mud. It’s been a matter of rest and pain killers. But before you rush to send flowers (or grapes) things improve by the day, and I am now not only able to reach down and pull my zip up, but I can tie my laces, both signs of improvement.,

Some 2 months ago, I gashed my arm on a door catch, and despite 12 visits to the nurse, she has so far been unable to stem the blood flow when she takes off the bandage.  Trouble is that having lost 4 stone after my cancer operation in 2016, I may look like a racing snake, but I have virtually no fat to give me any padding so when I damage my skin, even a small scratch, is black straight away.   Or put in another way, I’m delicate. Ed: Slimbridge… No comment please!

Friday 16 March, we interrupt at this point to say that last Tuesday I was given treatment to my arm with a seaweed and silver impregnated gauze covering……………….. and it’s working!  Today the nurse has changed the dressing and repeated the same gauze.  As I paid  the higher not contracted-out National Insurance during my working life, I am entitled to the silver supplement. I assume if I had paid top rate tax (which I didn’t) I could have a gold version.

Ed; Oh gawd, he’s rambling again.   No, I’m not…trying Googling “seaweed and silver bandage”.

Sadly, a planned birding trip with Chris had to be aborted but the rain was so bad, it turned out to be the right decision. Much flooding round Derby lanes and other river walks. 

Consequently, I have continued to spend an enjoyable couple of weeks displaying, photographing and cataloguing all my 117 leg examples. I now have a small catalogue which is easy to take to antique fairs when I want to check a possible purchase against what I already have. It gets harder to recall all of them at 117.

But there have been some birding snippets.

Chris had the champers out for seeing Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (and Tawny Owl) in Notts which will be good boosts for her 200.

If I’d lived nearer Norfolk, I would undoubtedly have made the effort to see the Snowy Owl which was reported around Titchwell and Snettisham, way off course from the arctic tundra. I guess a lot of the people going to see the bird will be Harry Potter Fans.

Good bit of news from Carsington, apart from the excellent male Scaup which has been in front of the wildlife centre and affording good opportunities to see and compare with Tufted Ducks.

The volunteers have a new project, clearing and preparing some unused wooded area to make it conducive for Willow Tits. I understand a recent survey by the Carsington Bird club identified 25 Willow Tits around the whole reservoir, so it must be a good potential breeding site.

I have my own issues with the auction industry, but the TV programmes Coast and Country auctions over the last 2 weeks has been very interesting. Auctions have covered fish, cattle, plants and flowers, Welsh cobs, ponies, sheep dogs, much of the action being around Devon and Brixham. Yesterday a sole fisherman was watching Dolphins by his boat, the cetacean with the larger fin than the Porpoises I saw with Simon last month.

Now I don’t know where you stand on the scones, with jam then cream, or with cream then jam debate. I just know I like both but if I must make a decision, then it’s jam then clotted cream.

If you google jam v cream, you will find that my choice makes me a Cornish supporter.

Tuesday 13^th March  Yep, the migrants are arriving. I see on the DOS web site, Sand Martins and a Wheatear were at Long Eaton Gravel Pits on Tuesday.

Sunday 18^th March  it happened again.. the Markeaton BwB cancelled due to the weather. I did a recce an hour before the walk, and found 1 male Goosander, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 sad looking cold Song Thrushes, and a group of actively foraging Redwings, plus 2 people booked on the walk who were quite happy to have their tickets validated for next month instead!!!

Finally, I (or rather we) are in the Daily Telegraph again, albeit with an anonymous name!

PLEASE let next week have a bit more birding input…..I do have plans, but ?????

Happy Birding.

Firecrest? 10 years later and here comes another one!!

Alas on Wednesday 28^th February despite agreeing to get Torville and Dean to perform on the Carsington ice rink, not enough tickets were sold, so the centre had to close at lunch time, thanks to the Beast from the East.

The visitor centre was closed until Saturday, and with 14 fractured frozen pipes, and the consequential floods you can appreciate that all the centre staff had one hell of a job cleaning both upstairs and downstairs. It was only when I was there on Tuesday at 10.15 did the restaurant reopen, and all credit to Dan T, the restaurant staff and all the rangers, that on Tuesday, you could be forgiven for wondering what the problem was!

I was told by a tired and seasoned ranger, that he had experienced lower temperatures at Carsington,  but the wind chill had made this the coldest since records were kept.

So well done and thanks from all your customers…………………… very few of whom came for 7 days!

Hazards like ice in the car park, made the decision not to proceed with the BwB on Sunday 4^th the right decision, but for only the second time in 157 walks. We (think we-) contacted everyone to say the walk was cancelled, so you appreciate why we need your tel no. And data protection rules prevent us keeping a list of tel numbers, so log your tel number each time you book.

Monday 5^th March I know it’s only Monday but it’s shaping up to be a really mixed week, as plans have been subject to last minute changes.

Those of you who get my latest post before anyone has added a comment, may like to have another look at my post of 2^nd March, as Slim Bridge has posted an amusing account of his isolation in Lynton, until the snow plough got through. Put’s him in line for the 2018 Comment of the Year Award.

Whilst on the subject of the cold, I received this from Canada.

                      

Any of you who have been in the audience during any of the 28 talks I have given about the Carsington Osprey Project, will know that I am prone to wax lyrical whence I get on to the subject of bird identity rings, and how it brings some real excitement to knowing and being able to talk about specific birds.

In my blog of 24 February, I told you about my river Exe bird cruise and Ian Waite the commentator talking about the Dawlish Warren Oystercatcher that had been identified at Carsington Water. In the monthly Bird Notes from Carsington Bird Club for February, the recorders report that on 27^th February 10 Oystercatchers “included the barcode ringed male returning for his 13^th breeding season, appearing to be paired with another colour ringed bird from Dawlish Warren”. 

So what was the attraction that made the Dawlish bird fly 230 miles to see a barcoded bird??

On the subject of ringing, there has been a bit of a campaign in Bird Watching magazine about birds having more visible leg rings, which, if implemented would enable us to have a greater understanding about where birds go. The Osprey, Blue 24 seen at Carsington, Rutland and the Dyfi estuary, is a good example of id data working, as indeed is the movement data on the many rung Bewick Swans at Slimbridge.

                            

Thought this close up of an Osprey being ringed would be of interest.. White letters on Blue Ring = a Rutland born bird.

Mary and I do (attempt!) a lot of crosswords, and if in doubt the dictionary is consulted. Consequently, when a journalist wrote to me recently referring to birds “bunkering down” that had to be checked, because I always say “hunkering down”.

Conclusion?  Collins cites Bunkering as providing fuel to a ship, whereas Hunker means squat or crouch, often with down as in “hunker down”. So birds crouching down to stay out of the cold, must, in my ‘umble opinion, be Hunkering.

I’m ahead of myself this week (it’s only Monday as I write) so I’ll hit the pause button.

Tuesday 6^th March  Popped into Carsington to do a bit of admin, and whilst at the wildlife centre had an excellent view of a superb male Scaup. (Amanda emailed to-day asking if I had seen it, so I guess it is still there today(11th)).   

Also, a group of us spent a long time trying to id a Snipe that flew across from horseshoe island. It was somewhere in front of the wooden screen alongside the wildlife centre, and we watched in the pious hope it was a Jack Snipe. Patience was rewarded when it moved into view.. it wasn’t!

Wednesday 7^th March A search for Crossbills at a reservoir in S.Yorks, was abortive, but I made up for that by joining the crowds at Wombwell Ings (Near Old Moor) to get a good view of a Firecrest  although sadly not the Yellow Browed Warbler. I just seemed to keep being in the wrong spot for the latter, because it was seen.

Talking of the Firecrest, this was only the second time I had ever seen this species, and coincidentally that was in November 2007,…….at Old Moor! Surely not the same bird?

Anyway, Wombwell did add a flock of 20 Whooper Swans, so I move on to 125.

Future dates?  Sunday 18^th March            BwB at Markeaton Park

                        Sundays 1 and 8^th April    BwB   Carsington

And a now fixed date for the first BwB  Away-Day trip…. SUNDAY 27^th MAY more info later.

Happy Birding

Thwarted by The Beast from the East!

STOP PRESS !!!!

In view of the difficult weather conditions, the extremes of temperature (especially near water!) and the unknown weather for Sunday, I have sadly decided to cancel the Bird Watching for Beginners walk on Sunday 4^th March, only the 3^rd cancellation in 155 walks.

Some of you will no doubt have already made your decision, and I have asked Carsington to ring any people booked on the course (who have not already cancelled) to tell them about the cancellation, and I am also hoping that followers of my blog who subscribe to the mail shot for each new post, will get to know about via this communication.

The next walk will therefore be Sunday 1^st April, followed by the Hopefully-Osprey additional walk on Sunday 8^th April, so you will need to contact Carsington to book either or both. Those dates WILL be in heavy demand.

Also, if you are still thinking about my suggested day-away trip in May, please e-mail me your preferences (Davidmjb@outlook.com) if you have not already given me a completed form. I will have set the date and venue etc, by the walk on April 1, and will notify you of my intentions then.

Meanwhile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So much for posting my column early last week, I finished up with a clear indication that I knew little about Gulls, so I amended the post accordingly, and Slyfers the Carer has added her comment - and for Glaucous Gull, now read .. Caspian Gull. Sorry.

Sunday February 25^th I was at Markeaton Park with 2 members of FOMP (The Friends of…) encouraging the public to assemble bird nest boxes, which are to be erected in the park. 

Unfortunately, we only sold 6, so we assembled the remaining 24 and all 30 will be put up in Markeaton park by parks department staff. We had 3 sizes/types, a Robin box, and boxes with small hole for Blue Tits and larger holes for Great Tits

The noise of 3 men hammering 8 bells out of the pre-cut units probably deterred people coming in to see what was happening, although we did sell about 20 sticks and cones full of a fat/seed mix, so hopefully some children will be getting pleasure from watching the birds pecking away for food, particularly in this cold weather.

Tuesday February 27^th,   I guess we did fairly well in Derbyshire, at least in the south, because the snow from Monday to Wednesday was minimal, albeit that it WAS cold.  Chris and I had planned to head north for Crossbill, but not knowing what weather conditions we may encounter, we adopted Plan B and went to Rufford. We had both ticked off Hawfinch this year, and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker would have been nice, but our target was the Marsh Tit.

We dropped seed near the ice house and tempted down Coal Tits and Robins very quickly. Not the weather to loiter we walked to the lake, and spotted 5 Goosander, and picked up a distant Muscovey Duck.  A hungry Robin was sufficiently hungry as to light on my hand 4/5 times to take some seed. Tits just looked – no bottle!

A hot drink was the order of the day, but we thought we would retrace our steps via the ice house just in case, and Bingo!! Excellent clear views of 2 Marsh Tits in the trees overhanging the ice box. 

They were not particularly active, and we could see the markings clearly, the absence of the secondary pale panel (seen in Willow Tits) that I look for, and the smaller tach.

A coffee, AND a scone – well earned. Sadly, all we could do for a rabbit that looked in dire distress was inform a ranger who agreed to take some action.

Eakring was to be the next target for a Garganey although there had been no recent reports. That was the plan until we turned east off the A614 to find the road blocked by 2 cars, one of which was well alight. I think we both felt sufficiently disconcerted as to not wanting to find a diversion, so we just savoured a good tick for a cold day! (Well 2 with the Muscovy.)

As explained above, this issue is early to try and ensure that no one turns up at Carsington the day after tomorrow, for an abortive walk.

Happy Birding