1-31 July 2009 blog diary and sightings

30 -31 July 2009 A few new waders about at WWT Slimbridge but a quiet end to the month.

Anser Birding Madeira 13-18 July 2009 images on the link below

http://www.anserbirding.com/photos/svmanager/g28/

Trip report now live on thetrip reports page.

29 July 2009 A rotten wet day, at WWT over 750 Sand Martin were ‘grounded’. I counted 340 along the fences at the 100 Acre.

Suffering Sand Martins…

Spitfire, Whitmimster

Yellow-legged Gulls WWT Slimbridge MJM

21-27 July 2009 A busy period at WWT with the best birding involving gulls and waders. My first moulting adult Whinchat of the autumn noted today (27th) plus a Southern Hawker. The dragonfly pool at the South Finger has Brown Hawker, Emperor, Common Darter and Southern Hawker this week plus Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselfly.

Brown Hare WWT Slimbridge MJM

This juvenile Mediterranean Gull was ringed in Oye Plage, Calais, France on 16 June 2009. I saw it on the WWT Top New Piece. This French site has featured three times on Anser trips.

19-20 July 2009 Downpours at WWT with hot, sunny spells still made for good birding and insect watching. A male Ruff is among the scrape waders and yesterday 103 Dunlin, 8 Sanderling and 4 Red Knot joined the Black-tailed Godwits and Curlew on the estuary. One of the godwits has a white feather on the wing which stands out from distance.

13-18 July 2009 An early hours start and late return from the Anser Madeira trip…..a trip report is in preparation covering our sightings and images. Andy Jayne found a Squacco Heron whilst waiting for his pizza! More to come soon….

9-12 July 2009 A weekend off was busy but very rewarding, my son’s Sports day on 10th. Congratulations to my old mate Nick Goatman and his new wife Rachel, thank you to them for letting us share a lovely day on 11th. A day at the Ashes in Cardiff with my partner Harriet, Jeremy Squire and Steve Dark saw a gripping finale to the first test, the best draw I have ever seen and what a batting performance from Monty and Jimmy.

8 July 2009 No birding for me today but a few things seen from the tractor cab including 35+ Tufted Ducklings with 7 females on the Long Ground Pool.

7 July 2009 A day at Buckingham Palace, I was invited along with Harriet to the Garden Party. We got there on time parking at the front gate of the palace near the grand entrance. A stroll along the Mall to Trafalgar Square for lunch and then a look around the National Gallery was all very interesting. The famous and iconic Sunflowers by Van Gogh (reminds me of the Arles, S. France connection as it is where we stay on the Anser trips) and the Execution of Lady Jane Grey, Paul Delaroche were my personal favourites, the latter very evocative and a reminder of how brutal life in Britain could be. Click on the link for full details and a view

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paul-delaroche-the-execution-of-lady-jane-grey

The afternoon was spent in the gardens where the Queen mingled with various people in line. She stopped to talk with a trio of forces (RAF, Army and Navy) girls that were next to us. After this we headed for the Tea tent and had a lovely selection of sandwiches and cake with out tea on the lawn. Whilst looking for the Chamomile Lawn we were caught in a downpour that turned into torrential monsoon like rain and eventually thunder and lightning low overhead, the largest hail stones I have ever seen dropped on us, many as large as my thumbnail. Quite spectacular weather causing the paths to turn to rivers and the lawns to lakes, wetland creation in London. Glad we bought a brolly from Boots.

Previa at the Palace, exclusive parking