SPAR TREBLE-TASTIC

The not so local local convenience store had a nice treble lined up, one RED one BLACK and a CROMWELL who could resist ? not me! get in there.

TTFN

YANKS IN THE POST ?

Hurricane Leslie has so far only delivered a RED-EYED VIREO to the Shetlands and Iceland where its sort of made 'landfall' hasn't had a sausage so far. Looks like the predictions of our French correspondent will not be coming to fruition unfortunately. In the year of the grip back surely please there's something in the US Mail for us long suffering 'old timers' or the up and coming techno twitchers will soon be overtaking us.
If and its always a big if there's a birding god up there can we have the following...

MAGNOLIA WARBLER
WOOD THRUSH
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO
PURPLE MARTIN
OVENBIRD oh yes!
and a BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER cos their awesome

all down in the West Country with Scilly getting a nice quota from the 13th October...cheers!
the prayer mats out.

TTFN

ESSEX INSECTS

This week I've been down in deepest Essex rummaging about some 'posh' farmland attempting to ID trees, find badgers and look for bat roosts all in the name of ecology. Whilst rummaging I found this big hairy grub munching away on a leaf. I've no idea what it is (apart from the caterpillar bit) anybody know what flavour it is?

On the same farm there was this beauty of a dragonfly a Migrant Hawker (should be called Common Hawker me thinks cos their everywhere). Having reduce the file size and re-jigged bits its all gone blurred...bummer!

Bird wise I just had to call in at Rainham (Fortknox) RSPB Reserve and whap on the sometimes obliging sometimes not Baillon's Crake that's been added to many a list over the past week. Not that I needed it of course the famous Sunderland one was first on the UK List for Pod way back in May 1989...Jesus!! I'm Old School. The year of the grip back continues.....

TTFN

INNER MARSH SANDPIPER

After many a dip (2012 Year List wise) I finally caught up with this most 'common' of Yanky waders on the bit of mud formerly known as IMF cos that's where I videoed it. Badly yes! but a records a record as Cliff Richard used to say. Pectoral Sandpiper nice!
Surely after all the years practice you'd think I'd have this craft mastered, well no! no way I'm sometimes like a blindman in SpecSavers...not a hope in hell! still here's some for record purposes only video just incase those List Police are on to me...

This little beauty brings up the 250 a milestone in any-ones book, true its still a long way off 300 and miles away from 350 but not far behind the leading pack (minus Dan the Man of course) and slightly ahead of those 'Flashers' down near Middlewich....roll on Scilly!!

TTFN

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Hi there, having reached my upload quota for photos something to do with megabites or similar I've took the drastic step to start another blog ingeniously titled Pod's World 2 like most films these days. I'd do it in 3D if I knew how? Anyway to get things off to a flyer here's probably one of the last dragonfly photos of this year (I can hear the anguished groans from you birders...god not more feckin insects)...

I think this is a male Migrant Darter (on the Ouse Washes) the Fog Horn might put me right no doubt?


TTFN