Wednesday, March 30, 2011

... and I've moved.

not far. About half a mile to the southern edge of the village. Within 90 seconds (and yes I have measured it) I can be in an overgrown field watching Linnets and Reed Buntings, and listening to Goldfinches and Greenfinches. And the cars on the motorway. And the train. And the jet aircraft going into Stansted. But nowhere's perfect.

It means I have a new local patch- Pishiobury Park, and the flooded field at Lower Sheering is a short walk away. So its a chance for some new lists. There;s a few obvious ones:
- Birds seen in the garden.
- Birds seen from the garden.
- Birds seen walking from the house.
- Birds seen in Pishiobury Park.

I acquired another list I hadn't expected. Birds seen in my old garden which I never saw in the twelve years I lived there. Currently it has one species on it; Waxwing, preditably enough. 17 seen back in January.

Monday, March 28, 2011

You say goodbye, I say hello

Some free time! My contract with a Canadian Financial Institution has finished. A great group of people to work with, and some absorbing work. But not a lot of time left for birding, as you probably noticed.

But now I have a break, and it couldn't have happened at a more appropriate time. I finished last Friday, and immediately the clocks go forward, the sun shines, and the Chiff-Chaffs are everywhere singing-in the spring migration!

So for a few weeks at least, some postings of migration in East Herts, and occasionally Dorset ...

Great Grey Shrike

Nine years ago when I gave up working I went to see a Great Grey Shrike at Grimes Graves. It was easy to find, showed well, all round very ...