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For as long as I can remember I've had a love of natural history, especially birds.
So many of the things we see, the experiences we taste, are but a fleeting moment, there to be treasured, but all too often flying away to rest only in our memories. I'm trying to improve my photography so that it too can try and capture some of those moments. As I look at the WAB gallery, I'll have to let my admiration lead to aspiration, not desparation. In the meantime, I can jot down a few experiences and thoughts by way of a blog - nothing too profound, just what it says on the tin... my miscellaneous musings. Thanks for taking the time to have a look and please feel free to leave any comments.
Jonners
So many of the things we see, the experiences we taste, are but a fleeting moment, there to be treasured, but all too often flying away to rest only in our memories. I'm trying to improve my photography so that it too can try and capture some of those moments. As I look at the WAB gallery, I'll have to let my admiration lead to aspiration, not desparation. In the meantime, I can jot down a few experiences and thoughts by way of a blog - nothing too profound, just what it says on the tin... my miscellaneous musings. Thanks for taking the time to have a look and please feel free to leave any comments.
Jonners
Happy Fathers Day
Posted 21-06-2009 at 11:49 PM by Jonners
On one of my Fathers Day cards this morning... a crocodile and a chicken are playing football and the croc is complaining to the ref, "Referee!.... that's a foul!" 
We popped over to East Wretham Heath near Thetford this afternoon, as I had been told there was a family of redstarts there. I've only ever seen one male before, several years ago at Minsmere, although a few years back we had one drop in to the garden here briefly at the end of Summer. East Wretham Heath is a piece of typical Breckland heath, but with two large meres fed by ground water, and bordered by some mixed woodland. We stopped first at the largest mere hide and saw Little Grebe, a family of Egyptian Geese and somewhat surprisingly a fine drake Wigeon. He conjoured up reminiscences of winters on the Ouse Washes, with great skeins of them flying over, whistling in the fading light, a magical sight and sound. There were plenty of Canada Geese, Mallard and a few Teal, but we didn't see the Crane that had been reported earlier. We headed on down the path through the trees where a kind birder showed us a splendid cuckoo through his scope. He also pointed us in the direction of the Redstarts, and before long we could see them flitting about on the edge of a clump of large bushes. The male in particular was a fine bird to see, with his red breast, black face and silver crown.
There were several Woodpeckers around, Green and Great Spotted, and a Nuthatch chose to show himself too. As we made our way around the heath to the track on the far side a lone Curlew flew over, as the Cuckoo continued to call in the distance. And a Mistle Thrush popped up from a dip in the heath to check us over before flying off. They always make me stop, to such an extent now that whenever I'm out with Julia and I stop to say "what was that bird?" her usual answer is now "it's probably a a mistle thrush", because so often that's been the case
Another Fathers Day card: large rounded pink pig is scolding smaller rounded pink pig, "You want to borrow some more money? Do I look like a bank?
We popped over to East Wretham Heath near Thetford this afternoon, as I had been told there was a family of redstarts there. I've only ever seen one male before, several years ago at Minsmere, although a few years back we had one drop in to the garden here briefly at the end of Summer. East Wretham Heath is a piece of typical Breckland heath, but with two large meres fed by ground water, and bordered by some mixed woodland. We stopped first at the largest mere hide and saw Little Grebe, a family of Egyptian Geese and somewhat surprisingly a fine drake Wigeon. He conjoured up reminiscences of winters on the Ouse Washes, with great skeins of them flying over, whistling in the fading light, a magical sight and sound. There were plenty of Canada Geese, Mallard and a few Teal, but we didn't see the Crane that had been reported earlier. We headed on down the path through the trees where a kind birder showed us a splendid cuckoo through his scope. He also pointed us in the direction of the Redstarts, and before long we could see them flitting about on the edge of a clump of large bushes. The male in particular was a fine bird to see, with his red breast, black face and silver crown.
There were several Woodpeckers around, Green and Great Spotted, and a Nuthatch chose to show himself too. As we made our way around the heath to the track on the far side a lone Curlew flew over, as the Cuckoo continued to call in the distance. And a Mistle Thrush popped up from a dip in the heath to check us over before flying off. They always make me stop, to such an extent now that whenever I'm out with Julia and I stop to say "what was that bird?" her usual answer is now "it's probably a a mistle thrush", because so often that's been the case
Another Fathers Day card: large rounded pink pig is scolding smaller rounded pink pig, "You want to borrow some more money? Do I look like a bank?
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