A warm Sunday

What a glorious day!

I was round Dad's this morning, it was lovely sitting in his garden.

This afternoon I went down Rye Meads. The Wood Sandpiper wasn't about (really chuffed I went yesterday now!). But two Green Sandpipers, a Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher and a Black Necked Grebe were nice sightings. Actually a Great Crested Grebe at RM is a good find.

Comma Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell

Little Grebe

Pochard

Loads of Tufted Duck chicks

Change of Plans

If you had asked me what I was going to do last night you wouldn't have got what I did.

It was a lovely bright start so I headed to the Forest (I haven't been for a few weeks).

There seemed fewer Grebes about today, the youngster may well have flown as they were quite big 3 weeks ago.

There were still two Terns and one of the young has fledged and was sitting on a pole calling.

Lots of Woodies about. A male Green Woodie supervisor a youngster feeding on Ants whilst 30 feet away a young Great Spot was on the ground doing the same thing.

Lots of young birds including Blackcap and Goldfinch (so odd without the red face!). And the Swallows seem to be out and about in force.

It was a lovely stroll there was a Heron flying about, I got to sightings of Kingfisher and there was a Green Sandpiper - good bird for the lake.

Now my intention was to go to Saffron Walden to pop into a branch of the Saffron Walden building society and then on to Audley End but last night I had seen that there was a Wood Sandpiper seen at Rye Meads so I popped into the branch at Bishops Stortford and then onto Rye Meads.

A good start was a Water Vole munching away. Then on to the Draper hide there were 7 Green Sandpipers and.....

Lovely and to be able to compare it to Green Sandpiper and a super patch tick!

This coot was not popular with the local Terns!

Another good local bird was a distant Black-Necked Grebe in summer plumage.

Red Admiral.

Common Whitethroat.

A lovely bit of local birding.

I'm not obsessing..... honest :D

As I mentioned earlier it would have been Mum and Dad's 59th today. I popped in to see him today.

They left Roydon at 5pm after the buffet to go to Clacton (their B&B was by the gasometer I believe). He said that at nine o'clock they had fish and chips along the front "it cost 2 and 9".

I just roared with laughter my father can remember the price 59 years later but he had forgot I was late home yesterday when I had told him at lunchtime and the previous day!!!!!

Anyway those photos from Sunday.

I believe this is a duffer!! Look at the building at the back

This is using the same software BUT with a different option.

This is with paint (how I used to reduce them)

Are any of these better? or acceptable? I have my views :D

Mum her last moments of freedom :D Mum never knew her father without white hair

Me in an embarassing purple/mauve suit. The bride is a cousin.

Dad, this is pre-war I'm told taken in London.

A young dad

Me and Mum @ Finchingfield.

it would have been..

...Mum and Dad's 59th Wedding Anniversary today (they made 55).

Comments please

I am aware of some quality control issues yesterday. Picture 3 was RUBBISH for instance.

so could we look at the following and see if there any differences.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

any differences?

and just for Turquis his nibs slightly bigger I hope

and rather a long time ago :D

A west end Garden and a Classical Concert

I was meeting up with Trish to attend a concert at the Wigmore Hall this morning (the Wigmore does a series of Sunday morning concerts at 11:30).

I suggested we get there early and visit the excellent Phoenix Garden in London's theatre land.

The Dominion Tottenham Court Road

The Phoenix Garden

A walk through Soho Square.

Some attractive buildings.

And after a drink at McDonald's on to the Wigmore Hall

The Concert was by the Michaelangelo Quartet at London's excellent Wigmore Hall

The programme was

Beethoven
String Quartet in C Op.59 No. 3 "Razumovsky"

Dvorak
String Quartet in F Op. 96 "American"

It was very good. Next one is not until end of September!!

Afterward's we indulged in a Pizza Trish unable to finish. I wonder why...

I hope the pics are a better size today!