Let's Get Together - Canned Heat

Despite the mostly Bad Weather

(looking north west)  

If I live to see the seven wonders
I'll make a path to the rainbow's end
I'll never live to match the beauty again
At the rainbow's edge!

Seven Wonders - Fleetwood Mac

smaller birds seem to be holding their own in the breeding stakes with

vocal

SEDGE WARBLER

and

REED WARBLER
both now established at the 2 northernmost ponds where on the
Gravel Pit

LITTLE GREBE

continue the 'pretence' of nest building!
By distribution the

COMMON WHITETHROAT

is the most widespread of them all

as even
Chiffchaff amd Willow Warbler

as unusually there has not been sight nor sound of either in the

Garden so far this Year.
As if to emphasis the point, even while snapping and viding this Aiport

STOCK DOVE

Little Willy Whitethroat
was still knocking it out.
Before the weather detered any further attempts of flashing up the
Moth Traps
we heard the 'churring' strains of our first

NIGHTJAR

later finding this most welcome and not unusual individual in the middle of the track,
we'll surely be seeing/hearing more of them in days to come, which seemed an apt moment to bring this Post to a close!

THANKS for TUNING IN

The Hungry Must Be Fed!

 It was only sheer addiction that had us flash up but a single (garden) Moth Trap on the night in the eye of such atrocious weather, but no one more surprised than myself to find not only Moth’s but also another

First for the Year.

ANGLE SHADES

CABBAGE MOTH
(the f.f.y.)

FLAME SHOULDER

During that brief forray at the trap and an even shorter

Outbreak of Sunshine

another
GREY SQUIRREL

gamboled across the lawn to scale this tree and filmed from the doorstep.
The short venture across the Southern Sector would have drawn a 'blank' had not the

GREATER POND SEDGE

burst into bloom while along the margins leading to the manor the
Lady Gardener

had dug up HUNDREDs of Daffodil Bulbs in readiness for next years planting, while looks like someone had already fertilized them, along the same track where the

MOORHEN CHICKs
continue to thrive in the absence of any Grey Herons.
On the way to the
Solar Panel Compounds
we clocked another member of the

EDDIE STOBART FAMILY
and while Scratching Around

within

(when you've got one you just have to scratch it!)

we took advantage of this confiding

JACKDAW
From the Heath we noted what is surely

The Shape of Things to Come?
with both TUI and Sunwing back on the Pan and a

WHITE-TAILED BUMMBLEBEE
for good measure and while some continue to

Feather their Nests

MEADOW PIPIT

Others, such as this
BLACKBIRD
are feeding young, 'now you see it'

while 'now you don't'!
Also up to the same practice was this

STONECHAT
which Stole the Show completely!

It Wasn't Only the Wise Men that Came From the East

A MASSIVE 2,333 Hits from yesterday came as a huge surprise and knocked the previous record into the proverbial Cocked Hat, can only think someone has been sharing Our Little Secret, so many, many THANKS. Time for you others to do likewise me thinks - Thanks Again!

During this now extended period of inclement weather there has been time to drift back to even more nostalgia which was an extended tour of South East Asia in 2012.

With time on my side it was decided, as this was a ‘lone’ adventure, to spend 3 weeks in each of 6 countries starting with a 3^rd visit to the irresistible state of South Korea, followed in order by Taiwan, Philippines, a second shot at Malaysia, a 4^th in Thailand and a final initiation that was Laos. This series of Post covers the former, where like all the others there was a warm welcome, beautiful, kind and helpful people, exotic Wildlife and varying cultures right across the board. We could not put hand on heart and choose a favourite but in the first instance we need to introduce

VICKY CHENG

a memenber of the World Wide Birding Pal Community who take fellow Wildlifer's across as much of their own surrounding as they can during any given period. There is no set charge for these services, only the understanding that the visitor's pay for any transportation, food for both parties and of course one's own accommodation which is usually booked in advance.

Arriaval in the capital
TAIPEI

was, like any other new landing, a little daunting but even more so tofine myself in the heart of a

PUBLIC PROTEST
but with the first 'tick' of the trip a

CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE
taking some of the sting out of the situation.

The further we walked

the more light-hearted things seemed to get

with bystanders offering food and drink which was a great opportunity to not only
enjoy the hospitality but get the first tastes of the country itself!
Additionally, there were Birds in the Parks, Gardens and Hedgerows such as

BLACK-NAPPED MONARCH

the first 'endemic'
TAIWAN HWARMEI
and

WHITE-BELLIED YUHINA
with the next problem being "which way to turn next"?
You could hardly walk past the

CHIANG KAI-SHEK MEMORIAL
rather like sprinting past Trafalgar Square in London

and more Protesters on Scooters amouting to 'hundreds' with other

TRADITIONAL CITY BUILDINGS
I was to meet Vicky at a pre-determned gate at the Underground Station where she was already waiting to take me by Tube a little closer to her home out in the country and get me settled ina

very well appointed hotel.
No time for dawddling she made it very clear as telling me she was not so much a Birder or Twicher but a fully qualified Ornithologist and a Pro-Am Camera Lady who regularly sold her documentariess to State TV. In addition, a General Guide but more particularly a Mountaineer, Orientation Leader having qualified at the

CHINESE INSTITUTE of TECHNOLOGY
(where she took me on a later date to meet fellow Students and her Professor - left.
Just time to pinch myself before a good night's sleep and an early start to the now redundant but still well stocked

FISH FARM

where the trio of prizes were

BLACK-BILLED SPOONBILL

CRESTED GOSHAWK

the diminutive

SAUNDER'S GULL
and for good measure

SACRED IBIS
Part II to follow next Sunday we hope!