Catch up and Merry Christmas wishes.

An icy Bodenham Arboretum on the 30th November! It was a cold day but still an enjoyable walk in the fresh air!

 

 

 

Meet Lunar who is now delighting visitors as part of the Nativity Scene in the farmyard at the Arboretum.

 

 

The return of the Grey Heron!

The Heron has made a couple of visits to my knowledge. The fish pond is well guarded against the Heron!!

North Norfolk....2nd-5th December.

A great weekend in what was decent weather in the main especially so on the Friday, RSPB Titchwell beach was enjoyed in calm, dry and a relatively warm temperature for the time of year!

A few highlights listed of what was a super weekend.
Red Kite, Kestrel, Marsh Harriers (30+ coming in to roost at Titchwell, an amazing sight), Bittern in flight at Cley being mobbed by 2 Marsh Harriers, Great Northern Diver, Long-tailed Duck, Eider Duck, Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Golden Eye, Bean Goose,  B T Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Shoveler,  Golden Plover (a flock coming in to roost at Titchwell), Little Egret, Pintail, Avocet, Little Grebe, Ring Plover, Wigeon, Brent Geese, Pink-footed Geese, Kingfisher, Starling flocks, Seals swimming along the shoreline at Cley and a delightful Chinese Water Deer at Titchwell.

 

 

Brent Geese

 

 

 

 

A calm Titchwell beach.

 

 

 

Chinese Water Deer

 

Rainbow,  Titchwell.

 

 

 

Sunset, Holkham.

 

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

 

 

 

 

Winter Solstice 2016

 The Shortest Day


"So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.

Welcome Yule!!"

Susan Cooper

Autumn at Bodenham Arboretum....19/10/2016

                                           October's Party

                                           By: George Cooper

                                           October gave a party;
                                           The leaves by hundreds came—
                                           The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
                                           And leaves of every name.
                                           The Sunshine spread a carpet,
                                           And everything was grand,
                                           Miss Weather led the dancing,
                                           Professor Wind the band.

                                          The Chestnuts came in yellow,
                                          The Oaks in crimson dressed;
                                          The lovely Misses Maple
                                          In scarlet looked their best;
                                          All balanced to their partners,
                                          And gaily fluttered by;
                                          The sight was like a rainbow
                                           New fallen from the sky.

                                          Then, in the rustic hollow,
                                          At hide-and-seek they played,
                                          The party closed at sundown,
                                          And everybody stayed.
                                          Professor Wind played louder;
                                          They flew along the ground;
                                          And then the party ended
                                          In jolly "hands around."

 

 

 

A colourful Season, enjoy!

 

A few of the remaining September 2016 Algarvian images.

 Images taken at Lagoa dos Salgados

 

                                                        Sea Daffodil

 

The Gulls were after the figs growing on the trees. A tasty meal if you like figs!

 

 

Bottoms up

 

That's better!

 

 

Clouded Yellow butterfly

 

Lang's Short-tailed Blue butterfly

 

 

Long-tailed Blue butterfly

 

 

Common Darter dragonfly

 

Emperor dragonfly

 

Long Skimmer

 

 

Wheatears on typical perches.

 

Stonechat

 

 Quinta do Lago

 

Purple Swamphens and Pond Turtles

 

 

Little Grebe

                                                       Great Crested Grebe

 

Moorish Gecko

 

One of many stunning sunsets seen during the holiday. This one was taken overlooking

   Galé .

 

Finally my Star find of the holiday! An Iberian Grey Shrike. A distant sighting but nonetheless an exciting one!