Normandy..... We will find them on the beaches!!

We will find them out to Sea..

Ok, so that's not exactly what Churchill said, but when have I ever made sense?

I have this week off, so the main activity is getting some miles in on the bike, but after 5 hours over the weekend - Monday was a Rest Day.. So it was time to bump up the Yearlist.. and... on a sunny day too!

Normandy / Pennington area was the plan.. Have a wonder around there and try and catch the Downton White Tailed Eagle on the way home.. Blashford hopefully if the Eagle played properly.. hmmmm.

A pair of Shelduck

There was a flock of over 100 Brent Geese that were feeding in the shallow waters.

They made a great sound.

Scaup!! 2 female birds.. very pleased to see these rare birds.


Grey Plover. 1st time I've seen on of these too.. There were plenty on the shoreline.

A punk like Cormorant.

So that was Normandy.. and a little stroll towards Butts and Keyhaven.

With the clock ticking I decided to head to Downton for the White Tailed Eagle.. which coincidentally is now being shown on BBC1 (south).

Well, no doubt they will find it in TV Land..

I spent an hour scanning the trees and countryside around Hordle but no joy.

Met some really nice people so the hour did go quickly despite the cold.

As it was late - Blashford didn't happen, but maybe Friday...

Tomorrow sees another adventure.. East Hants next..

Garden Visitors..

This weekend sees the Big Garden Birdwatch.. organised by the RSPB. (but i probably dont need to tell you that).
My visitors are pretty much the standard list for most gardens, but there are a few characters.. Like Maggy, the Jackdaw who thinks he's a Magpie? And 2 Robins that are fighting for feeding rights - it seems to be a draw so far.

A pair of Collared Doves are present most days, as well as a Coal Tit, Great Tits, Blue Tits and often over a dozen House Sparrows..

My birdfood stocks go down very quickly when the Jackdaws arrive on mass.. plus 3 regularly visiting Woodpigeon.. Still waiting for a little cracker like a GS Woody, (they fly over often enough) or a Nurthatch.. Im currnently up to a dozen different species since the Bird Feeder was put up at the start of the year. I suppose some Nyger seeds might attract a few Goldfinch etc.. I'll look into it..

Maggy the Jackdaw.

I should really give these two names..

Mr and Mrs Collared seems too formal.

And on to Slimbridge..

The weather looked promising after a week of fog and rain, so Slimbridge was the adventure venue today.

Been twice before in the last year, so didn't take too many pictures, yearlisting was the aim of the day today, but did snap a Snipe, plus the resident Otters.

10 Year ticks in the form of Greylag, Barnacle, White Fronted and Pink Footed Geese. Pintail, Bewicks Swan, Shelduck, Dunlin and Snipe... Plus 2 'lifers' in the form of some Golden Plover and a Peregrine..

I'd seen Peregrine before, but am starting the 'life list' from when I started last years Year List...

Got it?

Nonchalant Otter..

Snipe.

The sunsets on another Widgeon.

Slimbridge claim to have 7200 Widgeon there..

I think they under-counted!!

Waxwings in Hungerford

Today's adventure was to WWT Slimbridge - a chance to add some more to the Year list.

Picking Tim up at 10 am, I decided to go via Hungerford for fuel and see if the previously reported Waxwing were feeding on bushes by the A338 / A4 junction.

Pulling up to the junction I saw around 30 birds sat on the telegraph wires.

A closer look revealed them to be Waxwing.. And a lot of them!

Considering I had only ever seen 1 - and that was in 2010 towards the end of the year.. I considered this a worthy diversion.

Sorry Tim.

And then it was on to Slimbridge.