Little Stints, Frampton Marsh RSPB

 

'Little and Large'

Excellent views of two Little Stints from the main path

and 30 Spoonbills

A few from the garden

 

We have made a start on this winter's wood pile. Our son, Tom, is a joiner so off cuts and wood that is destined for the skip, often arrive home......by the van full. These two piles in the wood shed are just a smittering of what needs cutting. Wished we had a stove and not an open fire as it would certainly last a lot longer, and give us more heat that's for sure. Been looking to move house for over a year, can't find the garden we want, but a wood burning stove is a necessity. We will keep looking !

The last of this years potatoes, lifted before the wet weather arrives this week. These red ones are Sarpo Mira and make the best Actifry chips in the world !

Simon always takes a bunch of flowers from our garden to Lucy's when we visit. The dahlias have been stunning this year and they are still going strong. We will grow more next year, different varieties, love them x

The last of the runner and french beans, frozen within 30 mins of picking and the plants already in the composter. Nothing goes to waste at our house. 

Pixi and Magic. They love to be with us in the garden so a couple of fishing mats makes the perfect bed for the day. Like two bookends !

Black Stork, Frampton Marsh

 

We walked all the way round Frampton on Sunday, looking for the black stork which had flown just before we arrived. No joy, but 2 close up little stints and plenty of spoonbills. Driving out the reserve late afternoon and it lifted up from a ditch in the distance, gained height and flew away from us. But see it we did and it's nicely added to our year list taking the tally to 218.

Glossy Ibis photobombed by the White-tailed Lapwing at Blacktoft Sands

 

There we were, sat in Singleton Hide watching the Glossy Ibis when out walks the White-tailed Lapwing, what are the chances of that?! A Glossy Ibis photobomb !  Brilliant. 

Glossy Ibis, RSPB Blacktoft Sands

 

Had a catch up this morning with autumn gardening jobs and house cleaning so after lunch we headed to Blacktoft Sands to hopefully see the Lapwing and the Glossy Ibis. We were certainly not disappointed with the Ibis straight out Singleton hide window. But nothing prepared us for what would happen next.......

A trip to Spurn

 

Wheatears at Sammys

A few Redstarts still around

Failed miserably with the Rose Finch but hardly suprising as a photographer was stood in the heligoland trap ! So this Red-backed Shrike was a welcome bonus. It worked it's way down the hedge top and simply disappeared !  Excellent but distant views and a new year tick for us. 

Pied Flycatchers at the Warren and Sammy's Point

Skuas, Huttoft Bank

 

Our first stop of the day was Seaview Farm on the Lincs coast where Simon soon had our first Pied Flycatcher of the autumn found so the day was off and running. The noise of a delivery of logs to the new holiday cottage soon put paid to birding on this lane so we headed to Rimac to look at nowt ! 

Next stop was Huttoft Bank to seawatch as the tide came in at 4pm. A brilliant few hours with Arctic, Long Tailed, Great and Pom Skuas passing. A guillemot sat on the sea with the occasional head of a seal popping up. A marsh harrier flew out to sea and didn't return ! Hundreds of sandwich terns that never stopped. 

Looking at the sea has made me long to go on another cruise and get me posh frocks out ! So already got an Alaska and beyond cruise priced up, and bird list printed !