09 January 2010

In Wales

This morning the guys clearing the car park were using 'shovels' made of plywood rectangles screwed onto handles, pieces of molding, etc., defending their square of black asphalt against the white tide that continues to blanket hedgerows and cooling towers across Great Britain. (Great pic from The Times).

But its lovely in the snow. We took the train to Wales today - it was our Plan B: The people in Scotland thought we were quite mad, and said that there was too much snow to chase Black Grouse and Crested Tits in the woods - and, outside the train windows, the fields of sheep glowed blue then violet as the sun slipped low. Tonight we're staying in a old carriage house hotel in Machynlleth (pron: Mah-khun-khleth, go figure), and the place feels full of people in good spirits, making excuses to prolong their evening's stay by the hearth. They're talking about car batteries failing, the frozen pitch for tonight's game. Surreal-ly as imagined on TV.

Tomorrow we go out with Elfyn (pron: Elfin! Tee hee) to hopefully pick up some of the last of Britain's winter birds that would be new for Mandy. Fingers crossed.

08 January 2010

Snapshots

Retreat from the sea. Too much wind for even the Shags.

Sunshine - Stuart scans for Hawfinch.

Success! Bean and Greater White-Fronted Geese spotted during a brief reprieve in the blizzard.

06 January 2010

It'szzzz zzsoso cooold!



Freak cold snap in the UK and it is painfully, miserably, snot-freezing frigid on the shore. Fittingly, Blue Tits greatly outnumbered the Greats.

Forget winter specialties: put me on a plane to anywhere south.

(Note: Not one, but two jackets)

05 January 2010

Day One


Yellowhammers in Titchwell, Great Tits in Flitcham.

Who could ask for anything more?

(Full disclosure: this is not my picture. It was taken from a webcam in Szentgotthard, Hungary. The story can be found here.)

04 January 2010

Transit & Arrival

We arrived in Norwich in the dark, a light dusting of snow on the train platform. It had been a long and unexpectedly complicated trip - airport pick-up (plane two hours late), mini-bus, subway (one change), bus, train - particularly as I had forgotten the difficulties of lugging luggage and banging Mandy's large mauve wheelie bag on and off trains, up and down stairs.

Impressions: Norwich is dark (that's because its nighttime and winter), but I wont hold that against it. I am sure I'll have more to say on this frigid little blot of British brick and bog in the morning.

The goal is to see some ducks that look different from the ducks I usually see. And to stand in the cold and point my scope at some small blotches in the marsh, ignoring the tearing of my wind stung eye.

O vacation!