It was the AERG's festive outing today - which always means loads of mince pies and stilton and crackers washed down with some lovely warm mulled wine (trust me - there's nothing better on a cold winters morning like today!). This year's knees up was even better though, with a bottle of port, sausage rolls, stollen cake, mini cheddars, cheese and pineapple on sticks, and much much more!
It's always good fun, and today there was an added bonus when Fraser joined us along with the two chaps he was showing around the marshes, one of them being....
....can you spot the TV star?
...Nick Baker!! He also enjoyed some mulled wine and a bit of stilton, before continuing on with his tour. Thanks for an enjoyable morning everyone - what a fine spread of food we had! And thanks for the photo Adrian :-)
We did do a bit of ringing (before we necked the booze I must add!), with a Treecreeper in the nets the best. Notable birds I saw that didn't end up in any of our mist nets included a Woodcock that flew out of cover just after dawn, two Siskins and a Brambling loitering in trees near to the bird feeders on Stafford Marsh, and a Green Sand flying around in search of unfrozen water.
I was home early afternoon, then headed out again mid afternoon for a quick look about. The Estuary didn't show much, but up the road I saw the Greylag Goose opposite Stedcombe for the first time. That was it though, I didn't see anything else worthy of mention - well - until I pulled up outside my house again, where this silhouetted shape greeted me....
Distinctive or what!?
Yes it was a Black Redstart - a fine male which I managed to snap again a little later...
Crap effort though I know!
It was joined by a female-type bird as well, though he kept chasing her away so I didn't manage any sort of pic of her. Durley Road is proving a good site for these now, which is weird because it never used too!
It's always good fun, and today there was an added bonus when Fraser joined us along with the two chaps he was showing around the marshes, one of them being....
....can you spot the TV star?...Nick Baker!! He also enjoyed some mulled wine and a bit of stilton, before continuing on with his tour. Thanks for an enjoyable morning everyone - what a fine spread of food we had! And thanks for the photo Adrian :-)
We did do a bit of ringing (before we necked the booze I must add!), with a Treecreeper in the nets the best. Notable birds I saw that didn't end up in any of our mist nets included a Woodcock that flew out of cover just after dawn, two Siskins and a Brambling loitering in trees near to the bird feeders on Stafford Marsh, and a Green Sand flying around in search of unfrozen water.
I was home early afternoon, then headed out again mid afternoon for a quick look about. The Estuary didn't show much, but up the road I saw the Greylag Goose opposite Stedcombe for the first time. That was it though, I didn't see anything else worthy of mention - well - until I pulled up outside my house again, where this silhouetted shape greeted me....
Distinctive or what!?Yes it was a Black Redstart - a fine male which I managed to snap again a little later...
Crap effort though I know!It was joined by a female-type bird as well, though he kept chasing her away so I didn't manage any sort of pic of her. Durley Road is proving a good site for these now, which is weird because it never used too!
And that was my highly productive day....
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