Tombstone, Arizona, USA

We have just watched the film 'Tombstone' om TV and I kept saying 'been there, seen that' as you do but realised that I had never posted my pics onto this blog. It was a surreal moment walking up that street with gunfighters standing on every corner ! A right tourist trap and I loved every minute of it. Would have loved to stay longer but to go in any bars cost around $20 so we bought a fridge magnet from the OK Corral and beat a retreat. A fantastic day !

Hen Harriers - what an afternoon !

 

WOWSERS !!!!!

As you have seen from our pics, we have been watching a pair of hen harriers so at lunch time we drove to our field for a few hours to see if we had any luck. A hot flask, biscuits and a warm blanket were needed ! Within a couple of minutes we saw the ringtail, then the male showed and he was relatively close so we were more than happy with that and was just about to beat a retreat when Simon shouted 'ringtail' and a third bird arrived. Oh my dear Lord above, what an afternoon !! We are so lucky to see these locally and we are making the most of them before they depart. 

Smew, Brigg Marina

 

A quick trip to Brigg, just 8 miles up the road. Only us there and viewing was only from Cadney Road with no access at all to the marina itself. It favoured the left of the marina, well out of the biting, freezing cold wind so viewing it was almost impossible for me as I could not see above the vegetation. I did just manage fleeting glimpses as it swam between the greenery.  Simon snapped off these pics before we got hypothermia and beat a retreat !

Covenham Reservoir in the fog

 

Shoveller

Raven

Goldeneye

and a blackbird with a white tail !

It was brilliant blue sky sunshine when we left home and the weather got worse and worse as we drove south. By the time we had arrived at Covenham it was positively foggy ! And to top it all, we dipped with the male smew......bugger !

More Hen Harriers !

 

And then the male turned up ! I can't begin to tell you how far away these are to where we are stood and they always favour this hedge line area.

So much better when the sun comes out

TWO !!!!