Sloe Gin - Joe Bonamassa

 We should kick off by admitting our foibles of the 25th inst as something of a minor

WATERCOCK-UP
which is in fact a White-breased Waterhen and not as published, this is in fact a

WATERCOCK
not seen in Taiwan but in Sri Lanka. The appropriate ammendment has been made so back to the business in hand.

The beautiful glow of dawn with Venus just visible above left, but with little (nothing) to keep us in the southern reaches we headed north to find something

of an influx of mostly vocal

GREENFINCH
With another blank at the Irrigation Pond it was a blessing to find a dozen

TEAL

back on the

Gravel Pit

along with

what is now being considered as

an over-wintering

GREY WAGTAIL
On the way to the Sewerage Works to continue the seemingly everlasting pursuit of
Black Redstart

this
CORMORANT
was noticed on a distant pylon. Once a favoured perch for a dozon or more this event is a
First for the Year.
More of the same of recent days but most now being far more cooperative such as

very noisy

HERRING GULLs

nothing new in that!

JACKDAWs

at a favoured perch along with this

ROBIN

finding sustenance around the puddles.
A fine end to the morning as we located on 'call'

a flock of some 20 to 30

LONG-TAILED TITs

foraging the hedgerows. 

and finally, but by no means least it was as far back as early September when new-found friends asked the whereabouts of any Blackthorn on the property and willingly gave the location. It was on the C word morning that they returned bearing this gift.

SLOE GIN

Joe Bonamassa - Royal Albet Hall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z-EfcQeifc

and it would be sacrilege not to play this in tendem with 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IctWoZmcV8g

The Ballard of John Henry

(same gig)

Joe Bonamassa - Lead Guitar / Vocals, Carmine Rojas - Bass, Anton Fig - Drums (left), Bogie Bowles - Drums and Rick Melick - Keyboards.

Rock 'n' Roll Trivia - Joe was the opening act on one of BB King's tours at the tender age of 14! 

Monday, Monday - Mamas and the Papas

 We are going to overlook Bella as just a distraction having already fallen behind somewhat, we have quite forgotten which day it was but it was cloud free (Mister Blue Skies - ELO) leading to no rain or wind and nowhere near Deep or Crisp or Even!

Apart from a
SPARROWHAWK

having nabbed yet another Moorhen at the Main Pond there was nothing else to delay us at the
Southern Sector

but up north it was immediately apparent that there had been an influx of

GREAT TIT
little beauties!
Otherwise, nothing at ether pond forced us on to the Sewerage Works Fence line for yet another bash at Black Redstart, Siberian Chiffchaff or even a Yellow-browed Warbler - but NO!

BULLFINCH
both male and

female
were a welcome sight as one of the c2

HERRING GULL
fell to earth but not a single one of the likely 100 Black-headed Gulls, but with a brace of

JACKDAWs
making for backup. Most numerous at c6 on the Heath were undoubtably

STONECHAT

female / juvenile type

nourishing

and all

most obliging while the nosy

'rare breed'
OLD ENGLISH WHITE STEER
also looked to be getting in on the act.

There were also c3

DARTFORD WARBLER

making for the most bountiful day of the month thus far!

Bird on a Wire - M Gibson, G Hawn et al

 Only a short while after the last vestiges of what looked to be a

SUNNY DAY
did the rain, once agan, start in earnest, but whatever the weather it seems not to bother the local

WOOD PIGEONs

Still displaying, crest errect and occassionally atop the
Strange Rover

right outside Slight Return

also Billing and Cooing with these vids and image having been taken through the window of the homestead.

Later in the day one was found back at the nest and if they do make another attempt
it will be the 6th this year!
Otherwise the day was mostly a wet 'none event' with the local male

KESTREL

on the lookout for an easy

BREAKFAST

making but one plunge in our presence

without success.
Otherwise, it was left to a few more

MEADOW PIPITs

to bulk up what otherwise might have been a completely poor day until some of a minor
Record Breaker
late afternoon with the largest flock of

HERRING GULLs
ever recorded here - estimate 2 - 300?
and ended much as it had started,

Dull, Overcast and Wet - with hopes of better to come but highly unlikely.

KIcking Around on a Piece of Ground in Your Hometown

 With the local

TAWNY OWL
continuing to kick each day off at about 04:00 in fine fashion and then having the desire to catch more Moths before Years End being slaked by another wayward

DARK CHESTNUT
it was thought time to get a closer look at the now swollen

RIVER STOUR
(looking west)

(just looking)

(looking east)
with the course of the river to the right of image, as c2 of the now c8 local

CORMORANTS
performed a mini fly by.
Still dank but clearing the local

ROOKs

didn't paint a particularly promising picture

but it was certainly 'trying' to brighten up?
Under such circumstances anything becomes fodder for the Post so why should the humble

MOORHEN
get away with it!
At the Irrigation Pond there was naught but a single

GREY WAGTAIL

but what a little gem looking as still dressed in 'spring plumage'.
Just around the corner there were no surprises at the
Gravel Pit
where these days it has become commonplace for only the c3

LITTLE GREBES
to be seen

with the huge bonus (fluke) on the day being

capturing all 3 in the same frame of still and video.
(the only 2 surviving juveniles from this years breeding attempts)

adult, presumed parent bird.

Juvenile Preening
All else Wild, with the exception of yours truely, was this most obliging

COMMON BUZZARD

looking to be of the

2020 Vintage

A pulse of late sunshine certainly brightened up the

trees along the river while at dusk also left a

Small Tower of Colour in its Wake.

Waiting For Something or Someone to show You the Way 

Pink Floyd - Time