18 March 2018

Mini Beast

The Beast from the East's little brother came to play,...

A couple of hours at Goldcliff over high tide produced a half-decent overhead movement, the notable features of which were: three flocks of Golden Plover (26 circling then heading low W and, later, groups of 10 and 15 heading low E [maybe the original flock reorienting?]); 1,230 Redwing (most heading high W); 40 Fieldfare (most heading between ENE and E, low into the wind); and at least 210 Mipits (some coming 'in-off', most heading between NE and E, low into the wind, quite a few at head height). On the deck a Merlin, two Barwit and the two, long-staying, Spotted Redshank were about the best of it. 

A drive-by of Boat Lane/Redhouse Barn resulted in another flock of 45 Golden Plover heading low E, a Chiffchaff, another 40 Redwing heading W and a few more Mipit.

Then on to the mighty Ynysyfro which produced,... absolutely bugger all, even the last few Pochard had done one. Yay for Ynysyfro!

Then a cup of tea, lunch and back out,...

The approach road to Goldcliff Point provided the unorthodox spectacle of a Wheatear foraging in the snow with a supporting cast of 100+ Redwing, 15 Fieldfare and a few Lapwing, Mipits and Reed Buntings. Not much at the point itself, 32 Common Gull, a few more grounded Mipits and an out of place Skylark foraging on the mud.

Finally, stopped the car near Whitson and 18 Snipe jumped up from a puddle in a roadside field.

And then it was time to go home for tea, bath and bed.

Goodnight Igglepiggle, goodnight Upsy Daisy, goodnight Makka Pakka, goodnight Tombliboos, goodnight Pontipines, goodnight Wottingers, goodnight Haahoos, goodnight Ninky Nonk, goodnight Pinky Ponk, goodnight ya bastards one and all.

Yeah, you're probably going to want to put something extra on over that jumper.

14 March 2018

NAY NAYS! 'MINGOS!

Popped over to Slimbridge to feed the Nenes. Apparently they are vulnerable to extinction and must be filled with grain everyday or they will expire. Also visited each of the cosy little flamingo houses; of course, flamingos are, famously, one of the world's few 'indoor birds' and never stray far from their wooden shed-like abodes. Any flamingo you see out in the wide world is a homeless flamingo and should be pitied or reviled, depending on whether you are a lefty snowflake or a fascist bastard.

Other members of the captive throng that caught the eye included,...

Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis, best told from Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris by its friendlier nature (especially when presented with a small brown bag of grain) and the fact it always looks obliquely to the right (the photographer's left) on seeing a camera.

 A little pinky. Awwwww, squeeeee.

 A gorgeous Redhead. Would love to find one of these amongst the Pochard at Ynysyfro,... albeit p'raps one with the full complement of wings and no rings. 

Non-/not quite-captive bird action included a couple of Peregrines and three of the plastic Cranes going over. But it was all about the NAY NAYS(!) and the 'MINGOS(!) really.

04 March 2018

The Dead

“It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely...”

“His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.”

From The Dead by James Joyce

03 March 2018

Beset by hardship

Fieldfare and spindrift in the great, white, snowy desolation of my back garden.