Home, Home Again I Like to be Here When I Can - Pink Floyd

Thursday 25th August 2011

Due to Technical Difficulties todays Post is under yesterdays date which it is hoped will be rectified tomorrow.

We were a little remiss in forgetting our 'second anniversary' of Bloging a few days ago. The photograph below was the first published since when we have gone from strength to strength getting very attached to our ever expanding readership. It would be fantastic if each of you could send this link to your friends and family. Either way we thank you ALL for your loyalty.

Wandering Albatross. You can visit all previous posts by either clicking Older Posts at the bottom of this page, selecting a particular date via the right hand margin or by using the Search Engine also on the Home Page.

Rain and even more rain over night, and it looked every bit like there was more on the way but the girls did get off shopping as the Winger and I set off yet again to do the 'men's work'.

Cetti's Warbler

Chiffchaff

Great Black-backed Gull

Coot

Goldfinch

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Greenfinch

Common Toadflax

Kestrel

Stonechat

Rook

Lapwing

Linnet

Magpie

Reed Bunting

Sparrowhawk

In addition we saw Bullfinch, Redstart, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit & Nuthatch bringing our 3 days trip total to 99 and with me bringing home the Species Guess trophy I very much look forward to defending it - see you soon P & T and Thanks a Million.

I can hardly leave my dear friends without a plug for the up and coming band Escape the Race
featuring Noel Lifton (their son) on drums. Already embarked on 'live gigs' I am reliably informed that 9 tracks, along with the album sleeve design above, are in the can.

Josh, Jo, Noel and Dan seen here at the recent Freedom to Raise Consciousness Festival

Ladybird, Ladybird Fly Away Home

It was quickly decided that today would be exactly the same as yesterday, only different. With P & T's sister in law arriving mid-afternoon we were restricted by time and this in turn restricted the area we could cover. Light rain was still falling as we ate breakfast and as we got ready to leave I resorted to an coat indoors, but on the up side the morning soon cheered up. With all of this in mind it seemed obvious that totals were going to be lower, so Tess opted for 40 species, Paul for 49 and me a massive 51.

The Names the Same

Having 'dipped' the Osprey yesterday it was given priority so we did in fact follow the same track and in doing picked up the Cattle Egret again, albeit at a greater distance. We also saw a handful of the more common species but not the object of our desires, so moved round to the opposite side of the reserve asking the soldier on 'guard duty' at the military base for permission to park in their lay-by. In my hurry to grab all the glory I barely waited for the car to stop and quickly picked the raptor up sat on a mid-stream post. That done, there was time to snap this

Armed Personnel Carrier now more ornament than use as the first, and only,

Common Buzzard of my visit thermalled above.

Traditionally, we leave counting until the end of the day, but as we arrived at Farlington Marshes I took a sneak look to see that 2 pages of the notebook were already full.

Before leaving the car we could hear Long-tailed Tits but they never came to view so were not counted on the day list. Not surprisingly, as we scanned the mud flats Waders and Herons were to the forefront with Grey Plover, Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit too distant to photograph but

Redshank (numerous) and Little Egret

Grey Heron,

Dunlin,

Turnstone and

Ringed Plover presented no problems.

The western sea wall was peppered with Rock Samphire

while among a gathering of Canada Geese and Mallard our only Pied Wagtail was spotted. How can you not see more than a single Pied Wagtail in a day? On that subject, neither Meadow Pipit or Skylark have been heard let alone seen!

In line with all other locations, Farlington is overborne with berries on all trees and bushes, not least these Dog Rose Hips.

A very small (runt?) Whimbrel landed on the mud as we pulled into the

Ship Inn Car Park but after a good looking at was considered no more than that!

With Sausage & Onion Baguette, White Bait, Chicken Curry and a couple of drinks we made for home to meet our guest, but not before adding

Harlequin Ladybird, waiting for us on our table,

Jackdaw and

Whinchat to the list bringing it very neatly and thankfully to exactly 51. With all the toys remaining in the pram there was just time for a quick rendition of "I am the CHAMPION my friends, and we'll be united to the end", before arriving home. With the girls promising to go shopping tomorrow, the Winger and I will be free to show you how it's done properly. However, as 'fatherly duties' are also called for manana the day will be shortened by my departure to Heathrow Airport to collect my daughter Julie, Nigel and Lee.

PS

The Harlequin Ladybird is a variably patterned little critter as this chart from Wikipedia shows, and is also a damned nuisance in this country.