Away Day - Part 1 Out of Town - Max Bygraves

 With

"white fluffy clouds in a cluster hanging on the breeze to dry"

it was certainly an option to get Out of Town and target a couple of Rare / Scarce Birds

with some beautiful scenary across Somerset and a few interesting birds en-route including

RED KITE

Farm-Steads

CORN BUNTING

in spring-like weather  it had to be a drive to the

SOMERSET LEVELs

via a mist shrouded

GLASTONBURY TOR

and the 'Welcome Notice' with more common fare being first in line such as

REED BUNTING

IRRIGATION DITCHES

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

Trees bowing under the weight of clusters of
IVY BERRYs

much to the likeing of the local
WOOD PIGEONs
before being directed to the exact spot where dabbled the first of the
Objects of Desire

a trans-Atlantic female

LESSER SCAUP
a common waterfowl in North America

along with a male for comparison but not in attendance on the day

and half decent still and video of one of the numerous

GREAT WHITE EGRET

in flight.

ASPEN

overborne with
CATKINs
but not known if of any neutricanal value?

All Around the World - Oasis Part II

 Still restricted in our ability to manoeuvre we again reach for the archive to bring you the outstanding 3 Continents.

NORTH AMERICA

GRAND CANYON

BLACK-TROATED GREEN WARBLER

THE STRIP, LAS VEGUS

ANTARCTICA

ERNEST SHACKLETON'S GRAVE

GENTOO PENGUIN

GRYTVIKEN WHALING STATION
EUROPE

LEANING TOWER of PISA

CYPRUS WARBLER

LITTLE MERMAID
Copenhagen, Denmark

Send Down a Dove - Charles McHardy

Not at all common in the garden, we don't recall ever having heard

COLLARED DOVE
as part of the dawn chorus from home base

but c2 of them were certainly at it early yesterday morning.
Oh lord above Send Down a Dove, with wings as sharp as razors.

To cut the throats of them there blokes as sells Bad Beer to Sailors!

It is unlikely that you will ever read a book quite like this about us here Submariners!

With no returnes from the Moth Trap and the Party Gate smashed off its hinges it was a no brainer to spend an hour or two on the

HEATH
where for the time invested returns were rather small but did include

what were considered to be a 'pair'

(male)

and female
STONECHAT

while from under the 16 reptile covers a most welcome

SHORT-TAILED VOLE

and a short visitation by the local

ROCKWELL COMMANDER
and while exiting the down-fallen party gate

maybe as many as half a dozen

SISKIN
an addition to the Year List and while the game ain't over til the
Fat Lady Sings

A Tale of the Unexpected with no idea of what model?

while finally a contribution from Bomber in Weymouth with his First of the Year
COLTSFOOT

Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty

 A little tardy this year maybe, as we usually record at least one during the first month, but a

TAWNEY OWL

did join in with the early morning vocals yesterday and was duely added to the
Year List. (images from the archive)

With no attention having been paid to the still prostate party gate no surprises to find some of the escapee
Old English Whites and

Belted Galloways
blocking the entrance to the Solar Panel Compound which is where the early morning luck faultered slightly with again No Moths but regenerated when scanning though the trees to the Moors River

where most obligingly stood this single

EGYPTIAN GOOSE

clear of the tree-line and seemingly just posing for the Canon and even

performing something of a quick-step with the water fowl continuing at the.
Irrigation Pond

where were found these c3 new arrival and last years juvenile

MUTE SWANS
other than that it was a case of
"HAY you've got to hide your love away"

The BEATLES

All Around the World Part I - Oasis

 With yesterday having been something of an Away Day, visiting a long time freind and his loverly lady, there was little to report from home turf save the following. Stood at the edge of the Main Pond awaiting the taxi (yes the Strange Rover is still in the Sick Bay) there was a sudden and most unexpected outburst of song from a

CETTI'S WARBLER
which was only the second record at this site across 12 years, but with camera in hand, a couple of 'clicks' of a scarce bird here that might just attract a mate?

We'll be watching and during that spell we noted the taxi comming through the gates and heading in the opposite direction to the detailed path to take when booking. Again our luck was in as one of the locals pulled up to say hello before being asked to catch up with the taxi - Zoom! Had it not been for this delay, not a problem at all, we would not have recorded the / a

MANDARIN DUCK

steam into view directly beneath the afore mentioned and finding later that it coincided with another, or maybe the same bird, at Longham Lakes?

Finally underway there was nothing more to report so decided to take a jog around some of the magical places visited across the 7 Continents of the World by way of a little padding. 

AFRICA

MOUNT KILIMANJARO

AFRICAN BLACK WHEATEAR

NIAGRA FALLS
(from the Zambian side)

SOUTH AMERICA

CHICHEN ITZA
Myan Temple Yucatan Mexico

VERMILION FLYCATCHER
(mostly Mexico but does wander north and south)

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN
Rio de Janeiro, there's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil

ASIA

TIANAMEN SQUARE CHINA

the much endangered
ORIENTAL WHITE STORK

ANGKOR WAT CAMBODIA
AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE

SOUTHERN CASSOWARY

with 'droppings' the size of a football!

PINNACLE LIMESTONE FORMATIONS
Nambung National Park, Cervantes, Western Australia

and a final, for now at least

AUSTRALIAN KING PARROT