Monday 8th January 2007.

And so to Salthouse. The weather started lovely but the grey cloud soon came in. Still a small flock of Snow Buntings brightened things up. Not much off the sea. A few Divers and Auks.

Looking back from Salthouse beach.




A stop by the road...

He isn't going to feed us!!



Sulk!


On to Cley which was quiet. Still a showy Stonechat, some pinging Beardies, a noisey cettis, a Marsh Harrier and a bunch of Avocet were nice.



A bit dull but I think it is a bit atmospheric....


The famous Cley Windmill.


I'm obviously not a proper birder as I decided to visit a few churches (both ticked ages ago). Firsly Cley.







The slightly more "modern" Blakeney (a very friendly church I might add).




I'd have never got this with the other cam....








On to Holkam Hall Park for a nose round....






The weather then settled in so I settled in with a good book!!

So what do I think of the camera? Well it has its limitations obviously but given the light I am quite pleased. The image stablilsation got me shots I would never have got before. In good light it should be superb.

Sunday 7th January 2007

For those of you in the know this is the day you want to know about!!

It started badly. Pants? Where the eff? Oh god NO I haven't packed pants!! BUGGER will have to get some.

Well off to Sheringham Park and no sign of the Waxwing so on to Felbrigg Hall. I fancy avoiding the hot spots. I walk off to the lake.




I spot the Mandarin Ducks but they are over the other side so off I trudge. Now at one point there are two ways I can go along the path of across this field. I take the field. its boggy and I start to think I ought to turn back and wwwahhh losing balance splash!! I am caked in Mud. No no one took a photo!! I got back camera ok bins ok trousers a mess. Luckily I have some waterproofs in the car (Yes CP it would have been luckier if I had been wearing them) and go to the hall loos to change.

I would like to thank various people for their total lack of sympathy (Min, Diane, CP, Boo the list goes on) - ok you gave as much as I would have done and laughed your arses off. Nic gets a hug for being sympathetic!!

And just to give a hint of the comicness of the situation.



Still I need some pants.... ok go Hunstanton. Buy pants..... play with the camera....

I've done virtually nothing to them. The light was awful.

Hunstanton in Winter.




The locals looking for people willing to throw chips (not me I hasten to add).






Hunstanton Cliffs, famous for Fulmar (tick!). Oh and a bunch of people making use of the copious wind.








So onto Thornham and look who showed up!! Way too dull but heh!



Its very atmospheric I think...







I popped into Titchwell to nab a Black Brant!

Saturday 6th January 2007

So I won't bore you with I went here and saw blah de blah. I'll give you the edited highlights.

I met Dave and Joy at Thornham for Twite we had brief views. Walked out to the coast. Loads and loads of Red Throated Divers and one Black Throat. Lots of seals off the coast. A few Eiders and Red Breasted Mergansers.

Walk back to get sooper dooper views of Twite sitting in the guttering of a disused bulidng.

On to Titchwell for Brunch and that Sausage Bap I was so cruelly cheated out of!! The bacon one was better!!

Down to the coast and a nice Great Northern Diver!! all 3 in one day!! I was rather chuffed to spot an Arctic Skua since I'm naff at this sea watching lark.

Various bits and pieces about including Avocet. Loads of geese it really is atmospheric!!. Nothing at Choseley!! Well none of the targets.

Dave and Joy went off and I went to Holkham to enjoy the goose spectacle. It is amazing it really is amazing!!

And back to the hotel

Cherry Pie's Marathon Training

If you read Cherry Pie's blog, and you really should, you'll know she is training for a Marathon. I thought you would like to see the diet of the long distance runner....





and she snaffled my Sausage bap. Such dedication.

And you know I like good photo's of the lovely Diane.




Thanks Corinna these were worth waiting for!!

Don't try this at work

Well this isn't the Post I was intending Corinna has let me down - typical!! Apparently my mail box is full. How flipping big is this photo eh? Since I have 999mb available.......

So here you go some highlights of a G8 meeting George Bush says "hello" to Angela Merkel!!

Whoops!!

Well I'm sitting with this camera.

• I've charged the battery.
• I've read the manual, well ok the getting started bits.
• I've set the clock
• I've turned it on
  

So why is the screen black? Reads manual there's nothing I have to do..... when I say black it has options and stuff on it but no image.... the first stirrings of frustrations start to surface why are the instructions on these things not easy to follow..... suddenly thinks, did I take lens cap off? Whoops!!

Gets VERY embarassed.

I'll set it to auto first before trying to get complex, photos to be taken at the weekend.

Maybe its time to diet?

An overweight woman got stuck in a South African cave for 10 hours after she became stuck. She also trapped the other 22 people in the party.

The woman was warned she might be unsuitable but she insisted on trying. The manager of the Cango Cave said she was warned again by the guide but that it was "difficult to discriminate".

Get Well Soon Boo

I have just heard that Boo has been in Hospital since last Wednesday. Unfortunately all we had was a message today and no number but Sherlock Pete tracked her down and she comes out tomorrow afternoon.

So get well soon from me and these chaps. The yahoo gang have all missed you and we are sending our love.

Dogwalkers!

Please note I have nothing against Dogwalkers or Dogs BUT when there is a sign saying "Please keep Dogs on a lead in the lake area" it means Keep your Dog on a lead! Excuses like "they were most of the time". "They wouldn't hurt anything" are not acceptable. Your average animal does not KNOW THAT does it?

Dog-walkers are one of the irritations of birding Hatfield Forest but in most parts of the forest that's something I accept as they have as much right to be there as me but the lake area is meant to be leads only. It was particularly galling watching dogs plunge in the lake near to the Tern raft the summer before last. Growl!!

Sorry Jan and other dogwalking readers.

And so another year begins

so what have I been up to since last we spoke?

I finished Trudi Canavan's "Priestess of the White". Started a bit slowly but did get going toward the end. Sets things up for book 2 which is out in paperback in a few weeks. I'm now halfway through "Hawkmistress!" by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

I didn't see the new year in! Miserable old git eh!

On New Years Day I did not tick 63 birds by 8am as CP guessed. I did see 36 species over Hatfield Forest - highlights were a Sparrowhawk (surprisingly my first over the forest), Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Goldcrest and Bullfinch (at least 3 males). On to Amwell Gravel Pits where I got 38 species. Highligts being Smew (2 drakes), Goldeneye, Marsh Tit, Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail. The total seen were 59 (including a few at my folks). A few notable omissions no Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Greenfinch(!!), Coal Tit (well not really a surprise), Reed Bunting. Oh an urban fox was nice.

After all the roasts it was a nice change to have Scampi & Chips New Years Day. I am now willing the weather to be ok for Sat-Tues next week!

Plans for the year? Well I want to visit Buckinghamshire there are a few churches there I want to clean up but mostly it has a raft of National Trust Places I haven't visited.
Ascott
Boarstall Duck Decoy
Boarsstall Duck Tower
Claydon House
Cliveden
Waddesdon Manor (the gardens are only free to HHA Members, luckily I am!!)
West Wycombe Park

There are some non NT places as well.
Chenies Manor House
Nether Winchenden House
Dorney Court (ok just in Berks)

I also want to go to Somerset/North Devon because there are lots of churches to visit in the area.

I want to see a Swallowtail Butterfly and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly. I have no real wants on my bird list. I'll have to see a Golden Oriole I suppose. I just find standing around with a load of birders waiting for a flight view a bit depressing

I have a date with Cherrypie in November to see Seals. I may have to get a chaperone along though.

There is one other thing I'd like to do but since there is no chance I won't bother mentioning it!