Setting Off From Sandwell valley

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Back to Slimbridge Tuesday 30th March 2010 Biking Birder moves on.....

So after visiting 'my' school yesterday, Rigby hall Special School [hello Kieran!!! - and class 3.3, oh and Taylor Ann, thanks for the Villa cards and class 4.3 - missing you too and all the children and all the staff - missing all of you.] got to Worcester and went to the Cathedral for an hour. Thanks to the ladies at the reception for the donations. Eventually got to frampton where I set up the tent and just as I settled down to read Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book, down came the rain. Me as snug as a bug didn't care and despite heavy rain overnight I slept well.

So Tuesday - awoke to the alarm of my mobile phone at 6.00am and listened to the dawn chorus which today included the first willow warbler of the year and the first singing blackcap.

Now I may have said this before but I love Slimbridge. I went back today ostensibly to but the latest edition of the Collins Bird Guide, which with money off at £15 was a bargain. Indeed if one was to join the WWT at Slimbridge you would get a copy free; now there's a great reason for going and joining.

Holden Tower - 2 willow warblers, 2 wheatear; a male and a female, 2 greenland whitefronts, the pink-footed goose and a distant great white egret. Good list with 27 swallows too and now the year list up to 163. Barnaby Bear and I gave out stickers to children who said hello to him and through the rain I cycled to gloucester where I am now on the internet for free!!! Good old Gloucestershire.

Gave £7.01 to the WWT from my collecting 'tin' from the front of my bike and that together with the £74.00 last week means a tidy sum for the WWT.

Met a lovely young 4 year old with her Mother who said her name was an Ethiopian version of Emily from Bagpuss. She was disappointed at the lack of wood duck but on the way to try to see kingfishers. Another maya Rose in the making. Watch out Maya you've got competition.

Right now to go to Gloucester Cathedral and then on to Higham Wood RSPB reserve. Looking forward to those and then Symonds yat and the Forest of Dean. Should be good. Will I see goshawk and hawfinch. They're why I'm here at this time of year so here's hoping.

All the best everyone,

Gary

PS Councils. .Pplease fill in the potholes

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