Phew what a week !!! Tram Driving, a Singing Nightingale and Turtle Doves.. all that in 5 days

Now look…….. it’s 18.49 on Sunday night, and you know what my objective is at 9 pm… yes we are all geared up for the final instalment of “Line of Duty”.   So, by the time you read this, the final 90 minutes on this superb series will have past you will know who “H” is, and we all look forward to series No 6.

Mary has a three-line whip(kinky) - she is NOT to sleep within those 3,600 seconds, and if she does, it will be beyond me to give her a recap.   Yes, we do have a pause button, but not a backwards one. 

So, ENJOY.

I am pleased to say that this week has been a real buzz and enjoyable, with several interesting things and events to write about. Not that I’m getting any more “hits” on my blog, but it was very rewarding (in a sad way) to have a comment added to my blog last week from a reader who would not have known about the passing away of volunteering colleague Brian Woods if he had not seen it on my blog.

I did get a smattering of suggestions for a caption to this horse picture ..

I’ve got this agonising itch… can you find me an Oxpecker?

Birder walks up to a horse and says, “Why the long face?” (2 offerings with this theme!)

“Who’s that human  photo-bombing my selfie?”

Don’t flare your nostrils at me!

I told him not to rest his head on that freshly painted fence.

………………. Thank you… that’s enough….they’re getting worse!!

Monday 30^th April  I was absolutely thrilled skinny (some of you will know that skinny is somewhat apposite to me… I’m still only 8 stone 13!!), to be enjoying a wonderful birthday present of a bucket shop experience – I spent a day at Crich Tram Museum, learning about Trams and how they work, and then actually driving…... this one, the only Ex-Liverpool tram at the museum.

 This tram driving experience was a superb 80^th birthday gift in January from Mary, and Sarah, Michael, Julian and Sharon, but I had to wait until after Easter to do the actual driving. The package, which included a partner (Mary… and my daughter Sarah had a day’s holiday to share the experience) was a full day, starting with a training session for Alan and me, the 2 trainee drivers on that day. Then followed a short explanation of the tram controls, and before lunch, I was to be the first to take the tram on its first round-trip.

This was what I was confronted with by way of controls

 And this is me at the initial apprehensive stage!

The outward journey (1 mile) is up hill, so the return journey is downhill. (Logical!). But the difference is that outward bound you are driving/powering the tram, whereas the return is downhill/braking.   We had 4 round trips each, accompanied by just our friends, and it became clear that by the 4^th journey our tram driving skill improved such that there was less violent braking with only the occasional passenger jettisoned from their seat.

A brilliant experience, well recommended, and quite different. Controlling a 3-ton Liverpool tram will long be remembered.

Right   BIRDING…. And a good week at that.

Wed > Thu I was AWOL first in Whisby where it was a thrill to hear and see, briefly, the elusive Nightingale. Sadly, numbers are diminishing, but getting there for 9.00am probably helped. As a bonus a Little Ringed Plover.

Next leg was to Frampton Marsh (for 1.30), and after a coffee and a briefing from the RSPB volunteer, it was off down the tree lined track to the known location for the Turtle Dove. Word was that one had been spooked by a Sparrow hawk, but whilst I watched patiently it duly returned to the top of the poplar. What a buzz, seeing a Turtle Dove on my first 2019 visit… 2017 it took 4 trips before I ticked.

With a bit of perseverance, I added Whimbrel and a very dark Spotted Redshank to the list, but the most satisfying i.d. was the Wood Sandpiper.

Then it was on to Hunstanton for 6pm, with just time to slip down to the prom with a receding tide and spot 7-8 Turnstones, and a large number of noisy nesting Fulmars on the cliff face, a location well reputed for Fulmars. (No other cliff birds – just Fulmars!)

Thursday 2^nd May – Polling Day. Nice thought, quietly birding in Norfolk, no polling stations, no Brexit.. just me with scope and bins. Mind you, sadly Titchwell failed to add to my year list, and the Purple Heron at Burnham Overy, wasn’t.

Rain at 2pm curtailed matters, and I got my buzz from sitting in a car with a plastic cup of rosy, watching a Marsh Harrier, and wishing it had been a Hen Harrier.

Friday 3rd May   Miserable drizzle, nothing much to chase per Mary’s i-pad, so I headed back to Frampton Marsh, which was en route anyway.   Good decision.   Still hadn’t see the Dowitcher, but I added a nice handsome male Garganey, and a site rarity (apparently) of a Swift doing fly-pasts at the visitor centre made it well worthwhile and gave me a total of 10 new species for the 3 days.

…. And finally, to-day, and the BwB walk at Carsington.    7 warblers, including 2 new for me.. Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat, which ended a good week with me hurtling forward on 148!!

I finish with one of my QI bits of data, particularly apposite to my son Michael. 5^th May 1980 (39 years ago) was the day that the SAS stormed the Iranian Embassy building in London. 

As a family we watched the event unfold on TV, and for many years if we drove into London, Michael wanted us to drive through Hyde Park so that we could see the balcony that the SAS used to break in.

Birding plans look good for next week, and I’ve some amusing one-liners from a Majorca holiday colleague to recount.

Meanwhile, happy birding.