"Last tra-ain to San Fernando ..."

My last chance to ring in North Wootton (Nfk) came and went all too soon.
After my 'dawn chorus' walk at Priory (Beds), I readied myself and the car for my mission.

It was almost lunch-time Sunday before I arrived, unloaded and got the nets out and put them up. Not a bad little afternoon session with 13 birds, of which a mere 6 were new. Chaffinch was to dominate the weekend with 4 males and 2 females.

The biggest male Chaffinch of the weekend [wl 91, wt 22.1]

As I was about to sit down for lunch, a raucous din drew my attention to something struggling in the net close to the pole. Knowing what "disasters" can happen when this occurs, I shot out and took the following quick pic before I un-picked this 2CY female with a stonking B3 brood patch [i.e.fully engorged].

 Female Great Spot. in its first breeding season calling out to be ringed!

By the end of the day, I was half-way through the week-end's total of 27 birds. Next day, I had to get my car in for its MOT test (that ran out on Saturday) at Gayton, about 10 miles distant. Jen ferried me there so I was able to capture a few more birds in the morning only. After lunch, I had to get into Kings Lynn and pick up and pay for the service and MOT. They still do things the old-fashioned way - that means real service and no bright lights to dazzle the customers!

Allen's Garage, Lynn Road, Gayton.

The day saw me ring my first 3J of the year, a sweet Robin, destined to become a female going by its wing length.

On some younger birds, the bastard wing (alula) has become quite noticeable due to bleaching. Here is a 2CY female Blue Tit from Monday's catch.

Faded alula on a 2nd year, female Blue Tit. (May 2010)

Tuesday morning was to be my very last session here. Although I lay abed 'til 7am (that's 2 hours after sun up), it turned out to be a bit of a farewell fanfare. Nine birds of just five species. Grist to the mill turned up as 3 new Dunnocks, an English ringer's bread and butter, and 2 retrap Blue Tits from last August. But, over breakfast, I saw a Jay through the conservatory window. A developing brood patch maybe, reasonable cloaca, 176 wing, 164 weight and 12 bars on the outermost gc and a broad tail pointed towards a 6 (hatched 2 years or more ago) and a possible male at that.

Early morning Jay. Note the dressing gown!

About two hours later in the morning, low and behold, another Jay! This one was definitely a 6M - everything was that bit bigger than the earlier bird. The little finger on my left hand, which is awaiting surgery, sustained a further injury and more pain as I thrust my hand out to hold the bird while I went under the net.

Late morning 6M Jay. Note the BTO sweater cuff by now!

Proper photo (none of these are cropped or touched up; it's beyond my comprehension!)

I finished on the only Coal Tit of the wekend, somewhat surprising, as they have been the real ' bread and butter' job for me round here these last four and a half years.

My efforts resulted in 27 birds, 15 new (12 retraps):
Gt Spot 1
Jay 2
Blue Tit (6)
Gt. Tit (2)
Coal Tit 1
Black bird 1 (1)
Robin 1
Dunnock 2 (2)
Chaffinch 5 (1)
Greenfinch 2

2CY male Greenfinch that has been on the last of the rose-hips

"If you miss . this one . there'll never be another one ... biddy-biddy-bum-bum ..."

Go west! (pt.4)

Needed to get in some walking and that after the celebrations.

Day 12 (actually 13) - Sunday lunch promised at the "Wellie", Boscastle. Jen had visited not long before the disastrous flood and a camping neighbour was there on that day in 2004. Coincidentally, the Boscastle flood was on 16 August and the Lynmouth flood was on 15 August 1952, a day I will always remember.

We went via the coast road and through a very pretty, and much "glammed up" village of Polzeath, where we posted letters and cards home.

 
Polzeath harbour. 


 From there, we went to Port Issac. We parked outside the village and walked down. Later, we climbed back. On Mayday, I had chatted to one of the inshore lifeboat crew up at the Social Club, while sitting on the grass. Jen spent a lot of time poking round all the ally ways, looking at the old fishermen's cottages up the narrow streets. Meanwhile, I contemplated visiting a grumpy old doctor at his surgery above the harbour. Hehe.

Recognise it? Doc Martin's house. Quite a few of the locations at "Port Wenn" are filmed here. And by-the-by, those are not 'Fisherman's Friends', singing "No Hopers, Jokers and Rogues'.

From there, we went on to Boscastle. The repairs to the village and its infra-structure took five years to complete. At present, it all looks very pristine and new but I suspect the slate will weather down over the next decade and plants and mosses will colonise the walls as wind-blown dust settles in the cracks.

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View of Boscastle harbour, secluded but tricky to enter in poor weather.

Today was also the day a yanky White-throated Sparrow was found up the Tintagel road, by Trevalga. Star bird!

Pics of this bird can be found HERE and a video clip here

Day 14. More walking, this time as an excuse to look for colour-ringed Corn Buntings. We opted to park at Harlyn beach and walk round Trevone Head on the coast path to Constantine Bay (clean toilets).

Harlyn Bay on an ebb tide, with F4 northerlies.

We only found three singing Corn bunts and I was able to 'scope just the one, which was ring-less. On the other hand, we picked up Rock Pipit, a Gannet fishing off Trevone and 'Quies' [islets off-shore], a few Fulmars, Buzzards, Kestrel, Sky Larks singing 'everywhere', plenty of large and small gulls, and noisy Oystercatchers and passing Whimbrels. We walked back via the golf course to Harlyn, stopping off at the pub for a cold, Polish, lager beer, before returning to the car.

From there, we dropped into Padstow for a 'cornish cream tea' as Jen didn't want to leave without one. Then it was back to our windswept camp site to do a little packing up. On the morrow, we were anticipating a long drive of 6-7 hours to Bedford, with Jen taking another 2 to get to Lynn.

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"View from our lounge window, Padstow".

And the Blackbird chicks (at least three) from the Leylandii by the water tap fledged today and were partitioned between mum and dad. A good holiday, all things considered - and over too soon.

Go West (pt.3)

Day 11 - the 'big day'. May Day in Padstow! Or as they know it "'Obby 'Oss Day - the start of Summer"


Let the fun begin; the 'Childrens' parade', heading for the Institute.



The beating heart of the "Blues' 'oss"

The 'obby 'oss can just be seen over the top of the crowd, immediately after leaving the Institute.

The base of the Maypole, Market Square, decorated with Cowslips, Bluebells Sycamore boughs.

The top of the Maypole.

A packed inner harbour and harbour frontage - Padstow 01-05-10

This wasn't all. We had just finished having (another) drink at "The Shipwrights", when Jen spotted her niece Hannah. who lived hereabouts for several years. Later we were joined by nephew, Gerry, and Hannah's partner, Ian (better known as 'Ginge') and their Hungarian Oupi (woolly dog).

A chance family meeting. [Jen, Gerry, "Henry", Ian & Hannah]

I think I can say - "a good time was had by all".

Go west! (pt.2)

Day 7. Turned out lovely. Walked over the Towans to Godrevy with "Timmy Titus" who liked getting sand in his eyes (mad bugger). Just loved having those Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins swooping over the dunes around us almost constantly. Low numbers of both martins nest in/on the cliffs.
Later we went off to St. Ives, the artists' capital. Jen had to have a pastie and look in the arty-farty places while I bought some scones for later. We acquired our "Cornish calves" walking down and back - as pensioners we could have had a free ride there and back on the bus!

The steep walk via public footpath down to the town centre

St. Ives harbour at low tide.

Day 8. Jen took me to the Kennal Vale reserve at Ponsonooth. This is an old industrial site (gunpowder) in a steep, wet valley. I took the low road while Jen took the narrow, wet path (I call it a ledge) through the tops of the seven mills, fed by a still performing leat. No Dippers today. Some magnificent Beech trees, straight for 70-80', no less.

One of the grinding or mixing mills - minus water wheel.


Later on, we continued to Falmouth for lunch of fish and chips overlooking the harbour.
In the afternoon, we travelled to Predannack, a NT owned farm on the South-West Coast Path, situated down a very narrow lane between high Cornish banks.

 Predannack bay and cliffs - 28-04-10
 

 Cornish banks and trackway in spring - Predannack

Apart from the gulls on the rocks below the cliffs, we sat and watched the colony of Jackdaws wheeling and foraging, with incessant male Common Whitethroats singing from the stunted, wind-swept hedges along the tops of the banks that formed the field boundaries.'Bonus ball' was a Stoat watching us from <20' away; he eventually retreated into the rocks.

On day 9 it rained. A chance to have some "BSD cuddles". The couple next door had a Groenendal bitch and a Terveuren dog (13 yrs old!) which I was allowed to fondle. Happy memories. Went shopping in Tesco's.

Day 10 dawned and we packed the caravan. Off to Padstow, arriving around noon. My first visit but not Jen's. We've come to support the "Institute 'obby 'oss" tomorrow, as is Jen's desire.

Go west! (pt.1)

The holiday season is upon us. First stop - Dorset. Stayed at the usual Caravan Club site at Crossways, a few miles east of Dorchester.

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The outfit parked in 'the Dell' at Crossways

The main purpose of staying here again this year was to look at some prospective houses, using this site as a base.
We had been sent details of a few properties and found a few ourselves on the internet.

Day 1 took us to Bridport and Bradpole, then on to Seaton, Colyford and Colyton.
Day 2 and we went to Simonsbath (Exmoor) to look at the old post office which had been advertised, and then to Dunster, Old Cleeve, Williton and Kilve. We spent the evening with friends in Chard.
Day 3 saw us looking at places in Seaton, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Whimple, breaking for lunch with friends near Exeter.

Day 4 was spent birdwatching. As usual, we went to RSPB Arne, trying to beat the crowds. We stood within 6-7 feet of a pair of Chiffs, nest building; it took us a short while to realise what was going on as we were looking at something else. We also found the Siskins and further round a female Gt. Spot excavating a hole on the underside of a huge broken bough. Waders were low in numbers but Whimbrel was picked up both by sight and sound. After the walk to "Shipstal Point" and back, we went onto the heath for the inevitable Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Dartfords.

Afterwards we went into Wareham and bought some 'blue vinny' (cheese) and some plonk as a prelude to visiting an old friend from Guildford in the evening. Day 5 (Sunday) we went and admired the traffic around Weymouth and looked at a few more houses on the way.

Birdwise at the site, the predominant bird, by song, was Chiffchaff. Three or more newly arrived Blackcaps were singing their hearts out, while a Coal Tit greeted us behind the 'van every morning. There are lots of Chaffinch and Robin around the site, which has much gorse, favoured by the LT Tits, and pine trees for the Greenfinches. On the early morning walk round, a Nuthatch obligingly sang from the tips of a Sycamore (in bud-burst), and the nesting Robin, and Blackbirds eagerly took the bread crumbs. A Grass-hopper Warbler sang from the quarry field next door, which the Pied Wags also preferred as it is wetter.

On day 6 we moved to Godrevy, north of Hayle. At the roundabout where we have to turn off the A30, I was not surprised to find a new retail building and an industrial estate that certainly wasn't there when I last visited. Cornwall is certainly catching up with the rest of England - well, the developers are!

The new retail shopping outlets, M&S, Boots and Next, at Hayle.

All very swish. By contrast, later that day, we went for a walk over the "Towans", a SSSI and LNR, and the second largest dune system in England.