Birds – Page 13 – Neil Baldwin's blog : Warning contains walking, technology, photography, holidays.

The fence

After having done some chores this morning, because R&L, A&M, Ange are coming rouind for a curry tonight, we headed off to Wendover for a walk to Coombe Hill.
On the way there we popped into our painter’s to have a look at his PC. He had managed to get some fake antivirus software installed which he could not get rid of. We sorted it and were soon on our way.

We parked in the public car park and headed off up past the railway station. The weather was sunny but there was a cold wind. I think we were on the cold side of the hill too, as there were not many signs of spring about, as there is else where round and about. There are fragments of an old fence up round the Coombe Hill area which I wonder maybe belonged to Chequers in a era gone by. See the photo’s

attached to the post. The fences are serious structures, the posts are cast iron and the fence part is quite fine (you would not be able to climb them), and very pointy on top (even more reason not to try and climb them).

Any way we did a loop round and ended up coming down the “usual” route up Coombe Hill with the view. When we got back to Wendover we went into Rumseys for a coffee and some lunch, I had Chocolate truffle cake and Helen had carrot and orange, very health concious we are.

Walk from the Alford Arms

Out with C&A table booked for 1pm. Tit flock in the garden , with a couple of Redwimg in the apple trees, then Helen spotted a Snipe flying over head. Seems Snipe were the order of the day as we saw another later on.

Then it is the return leg through Asheridge golf club and back to the Alford Arms for a lovely lunch. I had roast garlic and bread starter, followed by a grilled mullet boulliabaise (not sure about the spelling), all washed down with a pint of Flowers.

After the meal during which Helen had a glass (or was it two) of the local Frithsden white wine. So we walked back up the hill to have a look at the the vineyard and buy a couple of bottles.

Where is the ark?

Thought I would give you all an update on my walk to work routine. Things are going well I have not missed a day yet, in the three weeks I have been walking.

I am getting to know the wildlife that is about on the route, and this morning I thought may be there was an ark nearby, as all the birds seem to come in two’s. First I saw a Grey Heron fly along the canal, and later another one fly the other direction. In a regular spot I saw two Bull Finches (male and female), they seem to always been in the same short section of the canal, and I suspect that are always there unless someone has passed before me and scared them off. Then I saw a Kingfisher fly past twice, it was a bright iridescent blue because it was flying away with the sun behind it. It may have been the same bird twice, but I am claiming it as two different birds!

Other stuff that is often out there are Hares in the fields adjacent to the Buckland Road, as well as an elusive warblerish bird that I have yet to get in the binoculars.

Titchwell RSPB

The final day of the weekend, we were determined to make the most of the weekend in terms of birds seen and time spend by the sea. We were first in for breakfast, a great veggie affair mushrooms, potatoes, eggs, beans, spinach and tomatoes, then we checked out and headed down to the car park at Titchwell, strangely we were not the first birdwatchers to arrive.

Apparently there was another very high tide which was about to turn, this meant that all the waders that normally spend their time on the mud uncovered by the tide would be on the scrapes of the bird reserve! True to form there were hundreds of them, knot, godwits, plovers, turnstone, the full monty. We headed on out to the beach (eider in eclipse plummage), then took a stroll down the beach for a mile or so to the end of the sand spit.

On the way back we spotted no less that 5 spoonbill, and a bloody-nosed beetle, and so after spending some money in the RSPB shop we had to head home.

Burnham Overy Staithe to Holkham

The weekend of great weather continues. On Saturday we decided to revisit a walk we had done when we were staying at Salthouse in May. We dropped the car off in Burnham Overy Staithe, which proved to be difficult because there was a very high tide early in the day and all the sailors were out sailing and the normal car park was underwater. We found a spot and left the car, the plan was to walk to Holkham then get the bus back to the car.

We headed off along the sea wall, the tide was higher than we have ever seen. It was on the turn and the currents were quite fast, and there were not a lot of waders about. When eventually got to a junction where right is to Holkham and left is towards the end of a peninsula where we had spied a couple of bird hides in May. In the way we came across a big flock of Linnet. At the end of the spit we could see all the sailors that had either sailed out or got a ferry to the island.

We walked along the beach and after a few hundred yards got our shoes and socks off. We then spent the next couple of miles bare foot paddling through the waves. We were however not as unclad as the nudists on the nudist section of the beach, (why do they insist on standing up and strutting about rather than just sunbathing like the rest of us.

We eventually got to the strange area that gets flooded by the sea but not on every tide. There was lots of Samphire growing around there and the sand/mud was very slippery. We then reluctantly joined the public masses and headed for a bite to eat at the Holkham cafe. The bus then took us back to the car, but before heading back we checked out an Art exhibition in the local village hall.

That evening I had Samphire for a starter folled by Mackrel with runner beans and a mustard and gooseberry sauce!

Thornham to Holme and back

I have not updated the blog of a couple of weeks, not sure why but here you go I will make amends. This weekend Helen and I have been to Snettisham, for the weekend, we stayed at The Rose aand Crown a great pub with real ale and some rooms to stay in. The food is great. If you want to stay I would recommend the new rooms rather than the quirky ones up the stairs above the bar.

We arrived on Friday at lunchtime after having spent the night at Mum and Dads, (thanks for the roast veg and couscous lovely), and had lunch at the pub, before setting off for a bird walk.

The walk was from Holme to Thornham, we parked in Thornham then got the Coast Hopper to the Holme coast road stop. Whilst walking up the coast road there were loads of plum trees of different types all of them very sweet and ripe. We headed off over the golf course and then along the board walks to The Firs for a break in the hide to wait out a rain shower. Then it was off again through the woods and out along the sea wall. There we saw loads of butterflies everywhere we spotted about 15 different varieties, including a few we had not see before. As we got back to Thornham we had great close up views of three marsh harriers and we saw what we think was a bank vole.

There is a track of the walk and bus journey here.

Orchids

The orchids at Helen’s parents are thriving this year, paricularly where John has cleared a patch of ground. There are 3 types; common spotted, pyramidal and twayblade. The wasp’s nest unfortunately is also thriving, and they have taken over a nest box to the point where the actual structure is coming out of the nest box hole. The ladybirds seem to favour life on the nettles, and saw lots of honey and bumble bees on

some of the larger flowering shrubs. A red kite was lurking about and the thrushes are leaving empty snail shells everywhere.

Golden Eagle found dead

Found a really sickening story on the net today. A Golden Eagle has been found dead somewhere in West Scotland.

Apparently there are things we can do to help stop this happening. For more details visit the following link.

Walk to Wendover and back

The plan was to walk from home to Wendover along the grand union, then grab some lunch and walk back via the ridgeway over the hills. On the way round the village we decided to invite Helen’s folks along so we stopped off at Hillside on the way.

We left at about 10:30 and got to Wendover about 12:30. Along the way there were lots of ducking and signets, including Mandarin Duck. After lunch and a pint at the Red Lion we headed out along the brook that runs out of Wendover along the ridgeway.

By 15:40 we got to “The Cafe in the Woods” for a welcome coffee and cakes. Finally got back home at 17:40 with tenderised feet, but a good walk all the same.

Swift, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Thrush, Starling, Rook, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Magpie, Coot, Little Grebe, Mallard, Mandarin Duck, Long-tailed Tit, Buzzard, Swallow, Mute Swan, Dunnock, Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon, Blackcap, Moorhen, Blackbird, Red Kite, Green Woodpecker, Swift, (22 YTD )

Holiday bird list

Bar-tailed Godwit, Bearded Tit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Common Sandpiper, Common Swift, Common Tern, Dunnock, Golden Plover, Greater Black-backed Gull, Greenshank, Grey Plover, Little Tern, Linnet, Redshank, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Rock (Feral) Dove, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Short-eared Owl, Spotted Redshank, Swallow, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Egyptian Goose, Barnacle Goose, Brent Goose, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Cuckoo, Hobby, Knot, Little Ringed Plover, Mistle Thrush, Pochard, Temminck’s Stint, White Wagtail, Wood Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, Common Crane, Golden Oriole, Stone Curlew (101 YTD 129)