To The Forest of Dean and 2 Year ticks and Three Couples!
From
Slimbridge I cycled along the Gloucester Ship canal until almost dark
when I pitched the tent for the first time and slept 11 hours solid!
Around
to Highnam Woods RSPB reserve with its closed gate and backless hide,
I birded whilst having a bit of breakfast. Nuthatches and great
spotted woodpeckers with the titmice at the feeders. Not really the
best time of year for this large woodland reserve; that would be in
May when the nightingales arrive.
Next
a long cycle to Cowper Lakes in the Forest of Dean, with a chance
meeting with a motorcycling birder, Mark Bonner on the way. Thanks
for the donation to the WWT.
As
I went down to the lakeside to look at the Chinese ducks, mandarins,
a Chinese girl was pretending to be a dog for her partner! They were
having a hilarious time “Here girl, come here.” I remembered an
interview with Frank Zappa years ago where he said the opening lyric
to a new song was going to be ….....
"There is a new piece we're working on in
the soundchecks at the moment, it's called "Lady,"
although-I only have the first few words of it, it goes something
like, "I've been looking for a woman I can treat like a
dog / So I can call her lady, lady, lady, lady / Lift her
leg." It's one of those sort of things that suits
Bozzio's voice."
It's
amazing how one can find the interview on google! As they saw me
through there laughter and her yapping, they came over and so I met
Tony and 'Vanessa'. A fantastic, never stop laughing Chinese girl
whilst viewing a new bird for the year Chinese duck. Another strange
coincidence. She wrote her real name in my notebook and told me she
had chosen Vanessa because she liked the name. They told me how they
met, whilst they he had been walking his dog to which I joked that I
had to get a dog if one could meet such a sunny personality. They'd
been together for a couple of years and were the happiest couple I
had met so far this year, obviously crazy over each other.
The
mandarins did what ornamental ducks do, looked gorgeous and swam
around the lake. Bird number 157.
The
big push next, up a very steep and long road to get to Speech House
corner and take the road to the New Fancy viewpoint. Another push got
me and the bike to the viewpoint top. Immediately siskins flying
around and a birder, Gareth Jones from Bristol, reported that the
hoped for goshawks had been flying along a distant ridge.
Another
couple, this time John and Julie came over to me and told me that
we'd met before when I was cycling back in 2010. We had met at
Holkham, Norfolk and that John had been in the same year group as my
brother, Paul at the same school that I had attended in Redditch back
in the late 60s/early 70s, Abbey High School, now Trinity School.
Another example of a small world.
A
female goshawk then flew along the ridge giving everyone views and
then was seen again flying low over the conifers. Bird number 158.
Next
to look for hawfinches at Parkend with scribbled maps of where they'd
been seen earlier in the day.
With
football time aproaching, Aston Villa, my team, where about to play
(and beat!) West Bromwich Albion (Get in there!), I cycled around the
yew trees next to the cricket pitch, no hawfinches. Then, after
checking in at The Fountain Inn, I walked up to the church. Once
again no hawfinches but the final lovely couple for the day who saw
crossbills as I searched behind the church.
Now
please have a look at my facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/bikingbirder2015 or Twitter at
Also
if you could please make a small donation to any of the charities
that I am supporting then please click on the links to the right. I
know I put this onto the end of every blog posting but I really get a
boost from every donation. The RSPB, The WWT, Asthma UK and
Chaskawasi-Manu. I would be so grateful if you could make a donation
however small. Thanks. I know I say this every time but it would really help to know that my efforts are being translated to support these fine charities.
All
the very best everyone as always. Love to you all xx
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