I recall from my school days, sometimes there is a proverb for which there
is another one which is exactly the opposite. For example, - “Too many cooks spoil the broth” v “Many
hands make light work.”
Mary has created one unique (well, probably) to the
Bennett household.
When Mary says something to me that I do not quite hear, I
am told “You are going deaf”. When I say
something to Mary that she does not quite hear, “ You’re mumbling.”
Ergo, Heads I lose - Tales I don’t win .
I wanted to show you this advert in the Derby Telegraph on
Thursday. £450 for a meal? Clearly they must have a menu for a wealthy
clientele. (And no… I can see no decimal point in the advert.)
Turning to our other Telegraph newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, I
have often been able to quote a journalist who writes the occasional short
column on the back page. Samantha Herbert is clearly well versed on birding and
comes up with some interesting snippets that would not make the News at Ten.
This week she reports on the progress by the RSPB and WWT (that’s Wildfowl and
Wetland, not World Wildlife) to increase the UK breeding population of
Black-Tailed Godwits.
Unlike the transferring of Osprey chicks, like Scotland to Rutland
and known as Translocating, this project is called Head-starting, and is
effectively giving Godwits a head start in raising chicks, by collecting and incubating/hatching their eggs.
Her article quotes an instance of finding 2 eggs in a muddy
farmland, hand-rearing the chicks at Welney and they have now flown to Portugal
and West Africa for the summer.
Great project and thank to Samantha for the soundbite.
I did try and locate the origin
of and/or what Godwit meant. Best I
could find was that it had an Anglo-Saxon origin. Viz: gód = good; wiht = creature.
And now something for the weekend. (Careful!!!) 66 years ago today the Queen was crowned,
and on 1st June 1880, the first public telephone box went into
service, in the USA.
139 years later, the model K6 is in use for anything from libraries
(they can hold 300 books) to coffee shops (outside seating!) and an ice cream
parlour. Shower units, wine coolers and
fish tanks are just some of the other conversions that have been made, and one
in Derbyshire has holiday accoutrements
to borrow (Lilo’s; buckets and spades; bathing rings; deckchairs etc.). What next I wonder?
As I write this blog, here we are 5 months through 2019 at the end
of May. My YTD count is 165, (I still think 82½% sounds more impressive!) a
little down on the same time last year, but not for want of trying. Had the weather not curtailed our trip to
Padley Gorge, I could have expected to have added a further 3 (Wood Warbler; Redstart and Ring Ouzel), and the abortive
search for Nightjar and Woodcock, 2 more.
HOWEVER, clutching at straws!, I have seen 14 species which I did
not see in 2018, and I have one new 2019 lifer – the Savi’is Warbler at
Attenborough, taking my UK life list to 339.
What else have I missed?
The Long Billed Dowitcher and Yellow Wagtail at Frampton Marsh, as well as a further 22 species that I saw sometime
in 2018 - but not yet.
I was pondering a bit of interesting news**, and it prompted
me to remind any readers in the Midlands ad North, of the goodies available on
the South coast. As you will no doubt have realised I love visiting anywhere coastal stretch between
Bournemouth and Brixham, in particular the Jurassic coast section which
stretches for 96 miles from Poole Harbour to the Exe estuary. Forgive me if I reminisce
and at the same time point out some of the great birding locations en route.
Poole Harbour is currently basking in the pride of having
viewable nesting Ospreys at Middlebere, and whilst my 2019 bird cruise did not
see them, there are plenty of spotters tracking the bird movements. Poole harbour is a good location for Divers
in the winter, and RSPB Arne is good for Dartford Warbler. A visit to the
wildlife trust lagoon on Brownsea Island is very worthwhile and should see
Spoonbills, breeding Little Egrets and a good number of waders…. Oh and of
course the charismatic red Squirrels.
I have been visiting Swanage since 1952, the year of the
Lynmouth flood disaster and when I grew into bird watching, I discovered the
Isle of Purbeck (the name of our house!), the fabulous cliff walks, and Durlston
Country park. And therein lies the interesting news. **Last week 7 Bee-eaters
were seen near Durlston Castle (=café).
The Jurassic walk continues westwards right on the cliff edge, and I
knew where the Peregrine used to nest. On the path you will find Stonechats, most
of the cliff breeders plus heathland birds, and passing Worth Matravers and
Dancing Ledge, St Aldhems, Lulworth, Osmington and finally back to tarmac in
Weymouth.
Straight away there is Lodmoor nature reserve and then on to
Radipole Lake (Hooded Merganser a couple of years ago), an RSPB reserve virtually in the middle of town! From there a
diversionary route will take you South across and with views of the Fleet (nesting
Little Terns), Portland harbour for Divers, and then on Portland Bill
itself. There you have the informative bird observatory and the pulpit rock for
good sea watching.
Back into main Dorset and continuing West, Abbotsbury with
hundreds of Swans is a spectacle. The coastal path (remember it is 96 miles!!)
continues to Lyme Regis, then Seaton, and the chance of a bird watching tram
ride through the excellent Seaton Marshes. 6 hides and one with a coffee
machine!
Budleigh Salterton is a favourite location, walking up an
excellent bush lined path by the River Otter, with a chance of an Otter.
Then comes my well-publicised favourite, Exmouth, for my
annual birding pilgrimage on a River Exe bird-watching cruise. RSPB sites and hides
at Bowling Green Marsh and Darts Farm (Penduline Tits a couple of years ago)
and the Exe marshes on the west side of the river, are all locations where time
can be well spent.
This is the end of my Jurassic stretch, but just a little
further there is Dawlish Warren, a good captive site especially at high tide in
the large river facing hide. And as a
final bonus, drive on to Labrador Bay for the most easterly location of Cirl
Buntings.
Enjoy your birding.
No comments:
Post a Comment