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Showing posts from 2015

A little near death scenario to keep me thinking.

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It is now Wednesday the 4th of November. I am in a hotel room just south of Aberdeen being a little nesh as it is raining outside. Last Saturday I experienced the worst moment I have ever had whilst cycling. The police are involved but the chances of a prosecution are extremely slim. I can't put any of this onto facebook as my dear Mum is watching my every step/pedal. So here's my book text for the day. Saturday 31st October Fresh SE AM to light S PM Very dark, low cloud and rain AM, very sunny & warm (14C) PM Stunning sunset. The ferry is rocking due to the swell and waves as I awake on the floor of the cinema, my usual sleeping location on the Aberdeen to Northern Isles ferry. We dock at 7 and by 7:15 I am cycling through the empty Aberdeen streets in the heavy rain. My progress is good and before 9 I reach Newborough and spend some time birding the Ythan estuary. A wader flock, mostly dunlin, reels around like a starling murmuration before landing on t

Goodbye Fair Isle.

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It is time to leave Fair Isle. Overall I have been on this magnificent island for five weeks, with a break to go to all of the RSPB nature reserves on Shetland in the middle. Highlight birds :- arctic warbler 2 citrine wagtails pallid harrier 109 yellow-browed warblers 4 common rosefinches 3 Richard's pipits red-flanked bluetail lanceolated warbler (my only lifer) radde's warbler ortolan bunting pallas' grasshopper warbler Siberian rubythroat Blyth's reed warbler 2 red-breasted flycatchers Lapland bunting 3 long-eared owls over 20 short-eared owls many jack snipe masses of redwings bramblings  Greeted by very curious fulmars and bombarding bonxies (great skuas). There were 300 of them when I arrived in September; now down to ten. Then it is also goodbye to the Bird Observatory staff, the birders and the Fair isle residents. It has been wonderful to see Neil Thompson again, especially when he has been playing one of his guitars. Many, m

It's Just a Perfect Day . . Cairngorms. 9th August

Sunday 9th August fresh SW in the valley, very strong and cold gale on the mountain tops cloud just touching tops. A few showers and a little sunshine. Scottish mixture...Four seasons. Awoken by screams of “what's leaking?” in the early hours, Simon the occupant of the bed next to mine in the youth hostel dormitory, discovers that the person in the bunk above him has just relieved himself down onto his pillow! It shines out like a shaft of gold when all is dark. Simon, in disgust, an after using invective to tell the midnight pisser what he thinks of him, goes and sleeps in his car. I fall back into my exhausted stupor glad it wasn't me below. Breakfast is superb and Simon comes into the dining area a little the worse for wear but drier. Outside clouds are scudding the tops of the Cairngorms where I will attempt to find ptarmigan today. Setting off, I cycle around a mile and then push. Real lycra-clad cyclists pass on their painful lactic ac

The Outer Hebrides. Stuck there due to ferry break down.

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Hiya! I'm stuck on North Uist. The ferry from Lochmaddy to Uig has broken down and they are not sure when it will be fixed. So, an afternoon in a museum and café (hence the Wifi) and a night in a manger. Going to be comfortable. It's either that or the tent as all accommodation is taken by the stranded passengers. If the ferry isn't fixed by the morning then it will mean a cycle to Tarbet on harris to get across to Skye. This is all to cycle from uig to the mainland to see a ... very small island that is an RSPB reserve. then it's about face and cycle back to Uig to get to Harris. Anyway, the last few days have seen me go from Oban to the Outer hebs via Lochboisdale. The ferry two days ago had lots of great skuas over the sea but I missed the dolphins next to the boat as I was playing cards with a fabulous family from Doncaster. I did manage to see a minke whale though! My first one. Yesterday a short-eared owl flew past me as I cycled just before Benbecula and

The Lake District - Half way and only 6 months to go.

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Well today is the half way point. Over 5,000 miles cycled, 237 birds on the year list, 158 RSPB and 8 WWT reserves visited. The next six months will see me cycling up the west coast of Scotland, going into central Scotland twice to visit Loch Lomond and Abernethy Forest/ Cairngorms, before heading to the north coast via Loch Shiel. Durness to John O'Groats and then onto Orkney in August. September and October on Shetland and Fair Isle and then the long cycle down to Norfolk before finishing in my native West Midlands. It's been a fabulous six months and many thanks to all of the wonderful people I have met. We live in such a beautiful, diverse country and to explore it so completely is a pleasure and a privilege. So a few more miles to go, 63 birds to get, more people to meet and more places to see. Who knows, I may even find Ellie! Thanks everyone. Xx

Sunday morning breakfast reflections. June 14th 2015

Sunday 14 th of June              Nr York. Sitting at breakfast with steady drizzle falling, listening to Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love and wishing I could leap around but knowing that the other breakfast diners might be a little disturbed. A full English of superb quality goes down washed with 3 cups of the best coffee. Frank Zappa's super fast Cruisin' for burgers next with that delicious guitar solo. So a French pastry goes in. Something more sedate for the next course, I've got to look after my figure after all; Nick Drake or Pink Floyd to go with a bowl of summer fruits and yogurt. So my day begins and the thought of the cycling over the Pennines towards Skipton takes over . . gradually. A bath first and foot pampering with creams and talcs. Reflections in my sonic cave, away from the general chatter overlaid by barely heard Beach Boys numbers. I prefer to listen directly and not be irritated by such great songs being used as musical wallp

It's been a long time and so much has happened..... June 13th

As I said last time I was this way, as the daylight hours have extended to midsummer the chances of updating this blog have reduced. SORRY! So what's happened in the last few weeks? Lots of new birds with great success getting the possible East Anglian birds on the Green Year list. In fact the only possible bird that I missed was golden oriole. Otherwise all from nightingale to honey buzzard were seen. Rarities included the little bittern at Lakenheath, white-rumped sandpiper at Frampton and a bee-eater passing during a prolonged seawatch at Spurn Point. 3 different red-necked phalaropes can't be bad and a glaucous gull at Bower marshes RSPB reserve on a return trip to south Essex when trying to see the black-winged stilts was unexpected. There was also an appearance on the BBC's Springwatch. In the morning I was on Springwatch Extra with Brett Westward. In the evening there was the pleasure of being on Springwatch Unsprung. Chris Packham hosted and the whole experienc

May 11th The Detail of a MEGA! Citril Finch, Friends and 76 miles cycled.

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Monday 11 th May At the moment it's impossible to keep up the blog on a regular basis due to the following reasons: every daylight minute is either spent birding or cycling. Daylight is now from 5.00am to past 9.00pm so that's a lot of birding time. Opportunities of getting on the 'net are limiyed in the area of Norfolk I'm in. I fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow! I am camping at least 3 days out of every 4 and the B and Bs and youth hostel I have stayed at recently either hasn't had Wifi or it hasn't worked very well. So please forgive me for the lack of updates. I am now in the one place I have found in Norfolk where there has been a great internet connection and that is the local library. Now I am going to give a detailed account of yesterday first then return to give the highlights of the days since the last update so long ago. 5.00am up and out to explore Bernay Marshes RSPB reserve. 42 species includ

Eastern Moors RSPB - National Trust Partnership 23rd April

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Thursday 23rd April  Up the hill to Eastern Moors RSPB Reserve with the continuing fabulous weather making the views lovely despite high pressure haze. Along a dry stone wall edge of the huge reserve I met one of the RSPB workers, Alex, working at removing old barb wire strands. He told me some of the things he knew about the reserve and pointed the way to the reserve offices. Through a gate and a push along a grassy path, I then met a couple of dog walkers, Graham and Gill, who obviously loved the area as they said they came regularly. Sam their dog loved it too, soaked and muddy and shaking it all over us all. Graham told me about one of the stone circles, yes one of them; there are a few around the moors and walked back with me to make sure I didn't miss the small path to the nearest one.  Walking and pushing the bike along the path a very small dark butterfly went past me. I thought it was a brown argus but couldn't re-find it to photograph and confirm. The

Bolton to Hathersage. Catching up on the blog despite no WiFi in the tent!

Tuesday 21st April Early morning ride through Bolton. I didn't want to see Bolton School. That's where my late wife went and I didn't want to go through the memory trail in my head at that moment. There was Bolton School! On nearing Radcliffe I came across a visitor's centre for the Merseyside, Lancashire and something else Wildlife Trust. Got to have a drink, I went in. There was a fantastic group of old age pensioners there for a social and a walk around the local nature reserve. Brilliant idea and wonderful people. Next it was through Oldham, meeting a lovely Muslim girl pushing a pushchair beside me as I pushed up the hill to the town centre. She was a Brummie and she put a donation in the robin. Great! Now I had just bought a pair of cycling sunglasses and after I reached Dovestone RSPB reserve, I realised I had left them in a Nationwide branch in Oldham! I'd had them for all of 20 minutes. Twit. Oh I forgot to mention stopping for lunc

Liverpool to Marshside & Hesketh Bank RSPB Reserves and Martin Mere WWT Reserve.

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Saturday 18 th April On the road again! A bumpy cycle along the dockside road to Seaforth and views of the reserve through the fencing. In 2010 I hadn't been able to see much and it was only after I'd left that the news of a Wilson's phalarope came out. No news of such a quality bird today and I instead enjoyed close vies of a male wheatear. Down to the beach to see the Antony Gormley statues and along to Hightown with beautiful sunny weather and a few willow warblers in bushes. I reached Freshfields and went down to the red squirrel reserve to see the little tykes. Quite a few of them about and lovely to see. Sunday 19 th April Up early from my wild camp tent and soon on the way to Southport via a cycle path that skirted Ainsdale sands. Now I lived in Southport way back in 1978 and was keen to see the changes. First one noted was the massive spread of spartina grass on the seashore. In 1978 the saltmarsh grasses had stopped around the

Last Days in Northern Ireland and a Day at Hoylake, Wirral

Saturday 11 th April She did too. Shirley brought me my breakfast suffering from a hangover. She had no knowledge of meeting me the night before. I have that effect on women! Three Frenchmen joined me for breakfast and only wanted bread. My 'pigeon' French came in handy as they spoke almost no English. They were over here for a rugby game. Another cycling day; too many of those recently. 35 miles to get to Ballycastle to catch a boat across to 3 RSPB reserves on the wonderful Rathlin Island. The first part of the road took ages as it was a long rise to the top of a high hill, not steep but too much for me to cycle up setions of it. On top there were 21 large wind turbines. I love them and think they enhance the scene. You may feel different but I remember blowing colourful smaller versions of these when I was a child. 21. I had plenty of time to count them as I pushed the bike up the hill. Down the other side was superb, long and not too steep, it was one of

Long Cycling Days. Armagh to Limavady.

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Wednesday 8 th April A superb breakfast served up by the 'there's lovely' Alice. Goodbye and thanks to her and Dermot for a lovely night's stay and the long ride to Aghatirourke RSPB reserve began. At least the weather was continuing to be very kind to me, sunny and warm with just a little wind coming from the south west. Puncture! Just before the Republic of Ireland border, reasonably soon fixed despite there being two small holes. The mileage signs caused hilarity just before this happened. 11 miles then 10 to go to Monaghan, then 11 again, back to 10 and finally back to 11. I'd travelled 4 miles during this time and where they had gone for the sign makers I don't know. Into and straight through Monaghan, into and straight through the Republic, I had no time to sightsee this time. Blackcap singing in a thicket to the left and as i'm back in Northern Ireland I can count it on the BOU year list, number 179. Willow warblers! Bird number