The Search for the Turtle Dove.... Successfully !!"!

Well, I imagine you knew that the photograph last week was of Carsington. I have always reckoned that the best uninterrupted and wide-angle view of the water, is from the upper level of Millfield car park, and last Saturday that was where Mary & I sat, reading the papers, doing the x-word…. and dozing!!   And the kiosk was open for a nice cup of PG tips.    

The tip of Stones Island probably has the best panorama, but no loos or tea kiosk – oh well, you can’t have it all.

On the subject of identifying a photograph, try this one!!!

Sunday 15^th July, I led the markeaton BwB by a different route for a change, to maximise the shade and minimise the sun. but it also minimised the birds, with only 15 species. A couple of Buzzards, 2 female mandarins and House Martins and Swifts were the pick of a poor crop, but only what I expected with the sun and the heat.

Sunday 15^th July……oh gawd.. St Swithun’s Day

St Swithun’s day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun’s day if thou be fair
For forty days ‘twill rain nae mar 

Well right now my lawn and flower beds know what they want, but if St Swithun’s was right, roll on 24^th August!!!

Tuesday 17^th July  My birding colleague Chris (-tine) still had pains which make gripping bins etc very painful, and with other joint discomfort she made the sensible decision decided to rest up. 

So, I pondered over where I should go. The RSPB latest sightings on the net for Monday resolved the question, with some great sightings reported at Frampton Marsh. With a high-tide at c10.40, and a spring tide to boot, my enthusiasm, only dampened by the traffic which I thought would have dissipated with school holidays, ultimately got my second Frampton journey for 2018, for 10.30.

Surprisingly the car park was not as full as expected, and the number of waders visible from the centre the highest ever I have seen. 100’s of Knot got me off to a good start, crowded in with Dunlin, Ruff, huge numbers of Black Tailed Godwit, plus a Spoonbill. I had seen a Spoonbill at Arne earlier in the year albeit not as visible as I would have liked, but this one was a definite!   And these were just some of the species viewable from the centre, whilst clutching a cup of Capachino.

At 10.30 feedback from birders was not yet in full swing so I had to decide where the best birds may be. A species that took me 4 visits to find in 2017 was Turtle Dove, and as one or more HAD been reported this week I set off for the known area, yet again.   

At first things were discouraging but I was determined to persevere and walked further round Farm Reservoir. And then I heard it….. a Turtle Dove singing! Such a distinctive song, and like Nightingales, where I was standing, there was plenty of song but no sight. I walked a further 100 yards, and heard what I assumed was another bird, unless the first one was following me.

Realising that an upcoming wet area had dried out, I decided to retrace my steps only to hear the Dove again. I continued my walk back, but knowing it was there somewhere, I persisted by turning left, where the path went right, and influenced by strong evidence that for a small area, the brown (!) grass had been well flattened, I set up my scope to look at the hedge/bushes/trees from the other side.

And with a bit of scoping JACKPOT!!!…there it was munching away at seeds, in a spot that I would not have been able to see from the path. Brilliant, Turtle Dove. No 174 and seen after only 2 visits this year. Oh, that was worth all the persevering.

No report to-day of the Phalarope, Stint or Curlew Sand, I decided to call it a day, but at least I could drive home with a merry heart. (Ed: Not your usual turn of phrase??)

The Puzzle.   I would bet that less than one person in a thousand would know what the picture was.

Clues:  It fits my Micro-tibia collection. About 7 1/2 inches long. 162 years old.  Mainly used by women.

It is in fact a Mahogany Knitting Sheath.  (For a fuller description google Mahogany Knitting Sheath, and there is also a video clip showing how it works)

It is a very old-fashioned knitting tool, the knitter jamming the sheath firmly in her belt (in this case the end with the boot!!!)  and then putting a needle in the hole at the opposite end. Effectively she could hold 3 needles, the third one being rigid from her waste.

By all accounts not only did women constantly knit, whether sitting or walking, but the extra “hand” enabled them to knit at a much faster rate than with the traditional 2 needles.

…….AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT.  That is one thing about my hobby, one learns so many interesting facts.

 A couple of diary dates;  

                                                      Sunday August 5th 10.00am. usual BwB walk at Carsington

CORRECTION 
      (advance notice...)                  Sunday October 14  The second Carsington BwB away-day.    RSPB Old Moor & Dearne Valley area, South Yorks.  Time TBA. Booking not needed, but let DJB know if you are coming.

Happy Birding.

World Cup?? Now we can get back to Birding!

You will no doubt of heard of Indian Fakirs that walk on glass, fire, and also sit on nails.

Well we have one at Carsington!   Well actually this one is a Redshank, which appears to get some sort of transcendental satisfaction from sitting on the Camera pole at the wildlife centre, presumably to get a good view of passing meals. The point is that the post has spikes all over it to discourage raptors from perching and predating, but this Redshank has developed the technique of parachuting in so that his feet touch the pole before the spikes touch his………  I spotted him on Friday, but identification was difficult. Sunday morning, I saw him land!

Remember my golden rules with birding.  1) Always look up; and 2) never be surprised!

Tuesday July 9^th  9pm and I’ve collected Chris from Phoenix Park for a trip to Old Moor.

For a change, I decided we would by-pass Broomhill Flash, and go straight to Old Moor to the Bittern Hide. 

A good number of birders were concentrating on the reedbed, and our 90-minute endurance gave us good views of a Kingfisher (No 200 for Chris!!), seeing it hovering and then grimly clinging to a thin reed as the reed swung to and fro in the wind!!    A lady** in the hide and new to birding did get a fleeting view of a Bittern, and Amanda’s advice was that as it literally jumped clear of the reeds then straight back in, this was the technique of the juveniles.

I picked up an elusive Common Sandpiper, and then found the reported duck with unusual markings, which turned out to be a Silver Teal.    Don’t check your Collins, this was undoubtedly an escapee as they normally dwell in South America……. Or at Slimbridge!!

After an early lunch, we returned to the Bittern Hide, and half an hour later, the lady ** now a more experienced learner!!, called "Bittern", this time it was an adult which flew about 200 yards left above the reeds, affording good view to all of us. Excellent, and being on Chris’s “want” list moved her on to 201.

Popped into Broomhill Flash hide on the way home... nothing to add to my 31 species for the day,  some quality and nice to have my first full birding day for almost six weeks.

SPORTING DIARY NOTE FOR THE RECORD:     Tuesday 10^th July.

17.45 David:                                           “Mary, I wonder what will happen about the meeting of the Patient consultation group at the Doctors to-morrow evening at 7pm, with the World Cup on?”

17.46 Mary:                                             “Do you think it will go ahead? and if so how many will actually be there?”

18.47 E-Mail from Surgery:                    “I’m sorry to advice you that…the meeting is cancelled due to the Chairman being unable to attend”

….. well I suppose it was just within the 24 hours’ notice period - saved me from throwing a sicky!

Tough for the England team, but they did play well. The subsequent beating by Belgium (again) suggested to me that it was not to be this year. But with a few ghosts exorcised, and if Southgate can take the pressure, here’s to the next World Cup.  Another thing, it all worked quite well in Russia, didn’t it?

Health permitting, and both Chris and I have “issues”, we plan over the next 2/3 weeks, for a new venue (for Chris) of Middleton Lakes perhaps with Kingsbury Water Park.

I guess many of my readers have a favourite place in the UK that they like to sit and relax. Maybe in the garden, or a nature reserve, or on the coast somewhere, but this is the UK one that gets top marks from Mary and me.

Add a comment if you think you know where it is, and tell us about your own favourite patch. (I'm expecting Slim Bridge to rate the Bempton Quarry pretty highly!!!)

Just to mention that the Markeaton Bird walk will be 10.30 on Sunday July 15^th, but it’s Ok it will not clash with the World Cup, nor the Tennis!    10.30am Walled Garden, Markeaton Park.

The next Carsington BwB will be Sunday 5th August, and just to keep you on your toes, don't forget the day trip to Old Moor on Sunday 14th October. More details of that day trip in due course.

Happy Birding 

A week-end across La Manche

OK…if everyone is switched onto the World Cup, here is my best World Cup 2018 trivia fact.

The Swiss broadcasting organisation has established that J R Neymar (Columbia), has been fouled 23 times, more than any other player, and has spent 13 mins 50 sec lying on the lush turf. That is 4% of his playing time wasted in writhing in agony, whether actual or acting.     Not a lot of people know that!!  

Elsewhere, for those of you who have been looking at your calendar and wondering why my publishing dates are all haywire since June, first our Majorca holiday took out 15 days, which I had to catch up.   Then hot on the heels of that holiday, last Friday the whole of our family, including Sarah and Michael, and Sharon and Julian, went for a dip UNDER La Manche. 

Yes, it was one off the bucket list for Mary and me, well 2 actually, as we had (1) our first experience of the Channel Tunnel. Many years ago, we went top side, and crossed the channel on a Hovercraft from Dover to Calais (which “threw up” an experience not to be repeated), so this time we went from St. Pancras to visit (2) Belgium for 3 nights, specifically in Bruges.

With plenty of exercise/walking, good food, some beer (more for some than others) and a 30-minute canal cruise, we had a great weekend admiring and getting to know a lot more about Bruges.

Bird wise?   Not a lot.  In a nutshell, Jackdaws, Woodpigeons, No Sparrows, one Wren, Mallards- ALL of doubtful parentage – but an interesting story was the c100 Mute Swans.

The story goes that since January 2006, the Bruges chocolate swan has been sold in the shops of the city’s confectioners.  The chocolate itself might be relatively young, but the legend on which it is based is centuries old. At the end of the 15th century, the oppressed people of Bruges rose in revolt against the unpopular Emperor Maximilian of Austria. They captured Maximilian and imprisoned him in the Craenenburg House on the Market Square, together with his equally unpopular adviser, Pieter Lanckhals. Lanckhals was condemned to death and Maximilian was forced to watch the execution. The Emperor eventually escaped and later took his revenge: he decreed that ‘until the end of time’ the city should be required at its own expense to keep swans on all its lakes and canals. And why swans? Because swans have long necks – and the Dutch for ‘long neck’ is ‘lange hals’ – or ‘lanckhals’! Legend said 58 birds but the Swans appear to have decided there will be more!!  

We came across this window, obviously inhabited by a Swan devotee

One particular statue caught our attention, as when approached from the back as we did, it looked like a man with a Green Woodpecker head and holding a flute. On circling the statue and reading the inscription, it became clear that the statue was in front of the main theatre and was in fact a principal character, Papageno from The Magic Flute by Mozart. The story required him to dress as a bird, and carry a birdcage on his back, which is what the statue shows.

At first sight….                                                    

 

Then from the front.......

Sitting outside a canal-side bar one evening and watching the World Cup,   were all highly amused by this Belgian determined to water his plants on a balcony, FROM the balcony above…that’s enterprise for you.

Bruges is worth a visit if you have not been there, and Eurostar (and the train speed) makes it an interesting experience.

ADVERT.   Mary and I have 2 fold-up cycles which we have owned for several years, and not being aficionados of sitting on razor blades, nor inflated knickers, we are selling them. With 4 new inner tubes and having had a good clean, we are asking £90 each, with a £20 deduction on a sort of Bogass. (Buy one and get a saving on the second!)   We await reaction from the press advert.

Being in Belgium, I missed the Carsington BwB on Sunday, but I gather 16 people had a good summer count of 30, with close views of Reed Bunting clinching the BOD.  Thanks to Keith and Gary, and Amanda for doing the admin.

Friday, I escorted a group from the Soar Valley U3A group to check out the bird life at Carsington, before they dined at the visitor centre restaurant. I think the heat supressed a lot of birds, but the Willow Tits at the wildlife centre were a good sighting. I was able to supplement our observations with some info about Carsington itself, such as where the Hamster drove under the waves, and they kindly gave me a generous donation for our Osprey nest upkeep fund.  

What?.... you didn’t know about the Hamster?

Talking of holiday reading, Peter, a Carsington BwB birder, leant me “The Peregrine” by J.A. Baker. I just can’t put it down – an excellent read which I’m thoroughly enjoying and brilliantly written. Described by BBC Wildlife as “One of the finest works on nature ever written”, and by the Independent, “A literary masterpiece”. Put it on your Xmas present list!!

Saturday evening, and after the 90 minutes of brilliant football, my postprandial libation was well justified… and enjoyed!

Future events?  Chris and I are off to Old Moor (etc!) on Tuesday (10th), and Sunday July 15^th at 10.30 is the regular Markeaton BwB.

Happy Birding