15/2/2013 Myrtle Warbler aka Yellow Rumped Warbler seen today at High Shincliffe near Durham. This meant an early morning start and quite a long drive. Seen fairly soon after arrival but always quite elusive. I did manage a few pictures when it perched in the open for a few seconds. We then went to Sunderland to see the Roker Lighthouse. We stayed in Hull for the night so we could meet up with Danny for few beers and a curry.
09/02/2014 On a day that started with strong winds and plenty of rain we went to Gloucestershire to see the Red Flanked Bluetail that was near Marshfield. I managed to get a few photos in a brief spell when the sun came out between showers. We then went to Salisbury Plain and happened to come across Stonehenge by accident not realising we were anywhere near it. There is a new visitor centre there.
I got a new camera and lens today. Whilst I was charging the battery for the first time I noticed a Sparrowhawk perched at the bottom of the garden. I managed to put the partly charged battery in the camera and rattled a few shots off. Quite pleased with them for a first attempt.
I went to Holme Fen NNR in Cambridgeshire on 2/2/2014 to see a Great Grey Shrike. The bird was seen rather distantly. It was only when I got home and googled Holme Fen that I realised I had just visited the lowest point in Britain. The lowest point on the Fen is marked with two green posts and is about 9 feet below sea level.
A nice day on the South Coast. Gosport was the first destination where the Ring Billed Gull was seen early morning. Then it was on to Lepe for the Lesser Yellowlegs and Beaulieu Lighthouse. Blashford Lakes where a Black Necked Grebe was seen was the next destination and then on to the New Forest, ending with a Hawfinch sighting at Blackwater Arboretum.
A trip out to Ramsgate Cemetery for the Hume’s Warbler and then on to Dungeness. The first six photo’s were taken by my son Michael. We also saw the Denge Acoustic Mirrors which were a type of reflector used to listen for approaching aircraft as an early warning system. They were made obsolete by the invention of radar.
A Glossy Ibis was found at Langford yesterday and was still there today. I think this is only the second to have ever been seen in Bedfordshire.
A Brunnich’s Guillemot was identified in Portland Harbour, Dorset, four days ago. This was the first opportunity I have had to get down there and luckily it was still there. We set off at 5am and arrived at first light. The bird was not seen for the first hour of daylight and I was beginning to think it had departed. Fortunately it was seen and eventually I managed to get a few pictures. It spent all the time I was there diving, coming up for a few seconds and then diving again and was therefore difficult to photograph.There was also a winter plumaged Black Guillemot, 2 Great Northern Divers and lots of Red Breasted Mergansers in the harbour. We also went to Portland Bill.
A good away trip to The Hive, Barnet’s new ground in Canons Park. This was looking to be a comfortable away victory on Boxing Day until Jonathan Smith had his leg broken. We did not have such a good second half even though Barnet were down to 10 but we still managed to hold out for a deserved victory. We went for a couple of pints in The Hive bar at the ground after the game where we spotted Edgar Davids the Barnet manager and former Dutch international. Luton had sold their full allocation of 1700 tickets for this game.
13/12/2013 Went to the Roundhouse, Camden to see The Damned, Theatre of Hate and The Ruts.
And some video footage:-
http://youtu.be/fB_EB4DRSBQ The Ruts
http://youtu.be/UK5nhr9bcSg Theatre of Hate
http://youtu.be/B29lxMy-tAk The Damned – New Rose
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