Driving South - Stone Roses

SEEMS I WAS FED SOME 'DUFF' INFORMATION
REFERENCE

PULPIT ROCK at PORTLAND
CRASHING INTO THE SEA - PLEASE DISREGARD!

Driving south round midnight, man I must have been insane
Driving south round midnight in a howling hurricane
I stopped for an old man hitcher at a lonely old crossroad
He said, 'I'm going nowhere
And I'm only here to see if I can steal your soul'
'I'm not tryin' to make you, I don't want to touch your skin,
I know all there is to know about you and all your sins
Well, you ain't too young or pretty and you sure as hell can't sing
Any time you want to sell your soul
I've got a toll-free number you can ring'
'Oh-eight-oh-oh-triple-six-oh, yeah
Oh-eight-oh-oh-triple-six-oh, yeah'

 Driving South Link to U-Tube

Still a bit behind with the Post which could have been increased had it not been for the helpful staff at Dampneys Ltd. The house Internet continues to be out of use so Plan B was head for the Golf Club House. No matter how we tried connection could not be made despite being connected to the Network, so after much more effort I was invited to use the Office system - BINGO! but limited to time as there is a business to run here.
I was unaware of the change of plan when leaving Blakeney at 05:30 to try for the Golden Pheasants for a 'third' time on my way down to Lisa's house, so continues the very slow drive west (along the North Norfolk Coast) hoping to spot an Owl or 2 on the way. Another wasted visit to the Wolferton Triangle which was terminated at 08:00, Sat Nav set for Kingston and a stop for coffee half way. Lucky really as this is when I text to confirm my arrival and to find out about the postponement of my visit - no worries. What was planned for Monday would easily fit and so with a minor adjustment course was set for Gosport in Hampshire. No Owl but the first bit of luck visited me as leaving the 'Services' a

GREEN WOODPECKER

flew across the Motorway in front of me.

 Record shot from the archive - 2 for the price of 1.

 

Arriving at the Boating Lake in Gosport the nearest bird to me 

was the target a

 RING-BILLED GULL

 which has been returning to this same site for a number of years now.

A resident of the 'Americas' (mainly North) this species is usually
only an occasional visitor to our shores - TICK.

 A couple other additions came fairly swiftly as

FERAL PIGEON and

 

 COOT

entered the 2014 Log.

 Of interest there, this male MUTE SWAN with a 'knob' under its

bill as well as the regular one on top, a

BLACK-HEADED GULL

already showing the chocolate brown head of 'summer plumage'

 and a Common Gull (already seen this year) worthy of at least a shot.
From Gosport it is just a short run down the motorway to the
New Forest and onward to Eyeworth Pond where the

MANDARINS (males)
were quickly found

(female) MANDARIN
along with this

NUTHATCH
Bit of a short day on the birds, but all in all considered successful.
Going to Post this now in case of yet another
Communication Breakdown.

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Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin

My semi-prediction reference 'No Post on Sunday' due to being in transit kind of back fired on me a bit. There was an unexpected change of the plan mid-morning, which deprived me of 5 Year Ticks, as Lisa (my daughter) had overlooked a pre-planned arrangement so I decided to bye-pass them and the chance of Internet access. The 5 'YEAR TICKS' were Mummy and Daddy

plus these 3 Little Herberts

FRED, ALEX and BENNY

Continuing on to Parley, I arrived to find the weather had taken its toll including eliminating the Internet. Today I have taken the drive to Portland, with a little 'birding on the way, to visit Secret and at least get this Post away. Not much by way of updates, and now find myself 2 days behind, but presuming all is well over the next couple of days we should easily catch up. For now, and hoping you will bare with me, we will just post a few more outstanding images of the birds seen so far this year and publish totals over the next couple of days.

 LAPWING

 GOLDENEYE

 KESTREL

 GOLDEN PLOVER

 JACKDAW

 AVOCET

 GOLDFINCH

 CORMORANT

 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL

 GREY HERON

 GREENFINCH

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

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All I Have to Do Is Dream - THe Evely Brothers

There were only ever TWO options as far as The Everly Brothers were concerned

you either LOVED them, or you LOVED them!

Rest Peacefully PHIL - a GREAT Legacy

Because every day has something 'fantastic' about it today will go down as FANTASTICALLY FRUSTRATING and UNDERWHELMING! The frustration came once again from the weather and I have to admit to a moment of poor navigation. The heavy rain was continuous all night long (at least each time I woke it was still hammering down) along with a gale force wind that seemed to have an advantage as the dawn broke. Having viewed the weather chart, by the time breakfast was over the decision had been made simply to knock the 'birding' on the head - a bold statement for me as I rarely quit. By 09:30 the wind seemed to have carried the black clouds to the north east and the precipitation was easing - on with the leggings! First stop was becoming ever more familiar as for the 10th and FINAL time I 'dipped' the Parrot Crossbills and made a spurious entry in the Sat Nav! Birmingham 5 miles? Well not quite but I was a bit off course with a minor adjustment getting me to

HORSEY MILL

 where it can be seen the weather was closing in once again.

A few stops in a series of field gateways soon had the target species in

the telescope, but again at great distance, c3

COMMON CRANE

in flight only.

The Haddiscoe Marshes, some miles south and east of the county town Norwich, and about 45 minutes from Horsey was the next stop which were found without delay, but where the hell is the

not even the locals seemed to know having visited 2 pubs to find out.

Eventually, a 'birder' in a lay-by with 'fingertip info' and just a mile away.

Further reassurance was gained when having parked and walked a

mile and a half

this lot appeared out of the moderate rain and gloom!

 ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD

at 'point blank' range, so this Wiki image shows, the one we saw

was firkin' miles away but went into the log nevertheless.

Sat Nav readjusted again and set correctly (another Year Tick) and

it was off to

a traditional site for a number of species of Geese. The rain started the 

very second I stepped from the car, but a five minute walk over the

Rail Crossing there was a decent lee behind a dense Hawthorn Bush.
The first Goose to be sighted was an addition to the Year List

 CANADA GOOSE

 and next the target of my desire c9 (Wiki photo)

(Taiga) BEAN GEESE

There was then a lull as a good number of Pink-footed Geese were

seen along with a single White-fronted Goose, before the next addition

BARNACLE GOOSE

More than that, all that is on offer are a few more images, from the archive, of species that have been seen during this trip.

 YELLOWHAMMER

 COLLARED DOVE

 WREN

 COMMON GULL

 RINGED PLOVER

 MEADOW PIPIT

 PIED WAGTAIL

 CURLEW

 LONG-TAILED TIT

 OYSTERCATCHER

 DUNNOCK

 RUFF

 LITTLE EGRET

 FIELDFARE

MOORHEN

I start wending my way South and West tomorrow with no purposeful destination other than more birds, if they come, and just one other stop off. I'm hoping to publish a Post tomorrow but if not at least you know I'm in transit!

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