The Land of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz Part II

 Having wandered the vast expance of the Mountain Stepp over an all to short a period it was a no-brainer as to where we might venture next

the even wider vista of the

GOBI DESERT
so caught the next train to

SAYNSHAND

in the far south-western area close to the boarder with China while of note was the small boy lower right corner who we discovered later was hoping to find his long lost parents in Beijing. It may also be of interest to note that on reaching the Chinese border all the wheels of the train are changed as of a different guage!

Having hardly settled in our seats we immediately fell into the company of some of Mongolia's most revered Television Stars, the most famous of which was, Batzorig (seen siting here with Jim the Medic) meaning Courageous and Strong! As the beer started to flow we decided it a good idea to wander through the train singing English songs and collecting money to aid the young lads search and gathered more than a "Fist Full of Dollars"! On arrival close to midnight it was readily agreed that none of us had ever seen so many Heavenly Bodies and there was a taxi seemingly just waiting to take us to a nearby

HOTEL
As morning broke we awoke to the company of a Mongolian gentleman who said he had been waiting for us to rise and intoduced himself as the Dean and Professor of the cities University, and also admitted there was an 'ulterior motive' to his wait as in exchange for inviting us to a Cook's Tour he would also be able to practice his command of English - sounded like a good deal to us!

Looks Like a Desert

BACTRIAN CAMELs

TEMPLE ARCHWAY

More Sand

having lost Jim and Billy temporarily then invited to join in a Mongolian Picnic

Show me the Way to go Home

Discovering the Roc Oil Base with Armed Guards at each corner.
Invited in and made welcome, but it went well beyond Welcome when we disclosed we were in the Same Industry back in U.K. -HIC!

Yet Another Ovoo!
and finally, no Birds found in the heart of the

GHOBI

Your Taxi Awaits

I'M BOARED, I'M the CHAIRMAN of the BOARED - Iggy Pop

 The day started with the loudest and best attended Dawn Chorus of the year which even included a

NUTHATCH
and a couple of yelps from a passing

GREY HERON
and if that were not enough both John and Dave disagreed with my identification of the recent

EXCAVATIONS

as compared with Badger's
which they both thought, without consultation, to be that of

WILD BOAR

a creature that has only been seen once in my lifetime with these images showing that

Magic Moment from Estonia
and from the Solar Panel Compound Moth Trap a

First for the Year

GREY SHOULDER-KNOT
bringing up the 15th species of the year along with the return of a

DOR BEETLE
plus a couple more

OAK BEAUTIES
and Best until Last

across the drizzle and gloom

we happened upon

our first

True Migrant Bird of the Year

this male

WHEATEAR

we will be hoping for better images as the weather clears and more birds move in!

Because They're Young - Dwayn Eddy

 After the rain, wind and gloom of recent days we returned to

"White Fluffy Clouds in a Cluster Hanging on the Breeze to Dry"
and while there a couple of returns from the Moth Traps it is doubtful anyone will want to see yet another single Small Quaker or for that matter c3 Hebrew Characters?

Far better was the return of a single

LITTLE GREBE
to the Irrigation Pond but with some very strange antics as feeding varaciously

 in company with a Canada Goose, never remained on the surface for more than 5 seconds.
On the other hand however there had also been some change at the Gravel Pit as the female Shoveler had disappeared having been replaced by a

Second Male

already locking horns

to maybe win the hand of the
Fair Maiden?

Within the

Solar Panel Compound

the highest 'fall' of spring thus far of

STONECHAT

amounting to c7 at least while through the trees the first evidence of

Avian Procreation

but hang on a 'sec', we'll try for a better vantage point

of what were c7

EGYPTIAN GOOSE
Goslings - there's always one that doesn't want to play ball!

While our Final Port of Call on the day was to pay visit

to our dear friend and nonagenarian Joyce and
I am a Little Red Rooster, to lazy to crow in the day - The Rolling Stones.

REACH for the SKY - Douglas Bader

 Having, as usual, started at Pondside all that was to be found there was this

BLACK-HEADED GULL

having got half way to sporting a Spring Helmet but things were about to get marginally worse.

The Lane north, long due for repair, was getting just that and while this was something to negociate the return journey was to become a nightmare - but enough about that!
On the Irrigation Pond a couple of very smart looking male

MALLARD
but already we are imagining the in-fighting should a lone female turn up while the story at the Gravel Pit and the Solar pPanel Compound Moth Trap was same old, same old so onward to the Moors River where immediately found was this very smart male

TEAL

with just enough opening between the trees and brambles to secure both

snaps and vid while the same applies as for the Mallard.
With so much growth this is not the most easy place to wheild the Canon but falling lucky once again, just a few yards further on a similar 'hole' again

allowed for stills and video

of this most handsome

CORMORANT
one of c6 followed by a moment of

Reach for the Sky
and only a single

MEADOW PIPIT

maybe the residue of the recent small 'fall'?

While it was left to this second

BLACK-HEADED GULL

down south to show off an almost perfect

BONNET