Bernie I hope you enjoyed your trip to our patch, Sheppey, you were treated to a good representation of our Avocets going about their role in life, courtship and procreation, we were fortunate as they have only been here a few days. and I am sure Roger has been the perfect host and has shown you around as much as was possible in the time you were here, by the time you get wind of this you will be back in darkest Suffolk performing your conservation work, well done!.
Roger our mystery bird has I think has more than an association with the Mallard populous, these birds seem to be very prolific in hybridisation producing all sorts of strange markings and colour variations, I have published a couple of shots below and will be forwarding the same to Gordon Allison, but like the gentleman that joined us said, he does not think the bird will draw many of the bird fraternity to a viewing.
We spoke of creating a site in which you both seemed keen, this is very possible at no cost, we will discuss further, in the meantime think of a suitable name. I will be in touch via email and will forward my telephone number so that we can go into much more detail.
TTFN
Dave
The pictures posted are yesterdays visit 11-4-011 and a previous time a week ago.
Hello again Dave,
ReplyDeleteBernie has just left for his journey back home to Suffolk, and I now have more time to write!
Yes it was nice to meet you and to exchange yarns! I find that very often there is a sort of snobbery in the hides, everyone talks in whipers, and looks at you oddly if you try and strike up a conversation - this happened to me only a few weeks back - it almost puts you off going, So mondays visit was a bonus when we all had a chat - very pleasant indeed.
Have you managed an ID on that "Duck" yet? It certainly looked like a Hybrid of any one of several species.
Had a look at your site - very very good, Bernie and I were looking at it last night and both agreed it was a joy to look at, and your offer of designing a similar site for me is very interesting to say the least - it occurred to me that as I have friends scattered all round the country - Scotland - Dorset - Suffolk etc, the website could be used as an indicator on how various Birds/Wildlife are doing in the given regions and may well be useful to bodies such as BTO - more of that later I guess.
I retire in December and plan to travel as much as I can afford to within the British Isles, this was the main reason that I got my Trailer Tent - I can just hitch it up and off I go - the only fly in the ointment is that the awning is just too much for one person to erect - so my little jaunts really need to consist of two persons - although some sites will help with this providing one gives them enough notice - OH the pangs of getting old - it is such a pain when the brain is so willing but the body is saying - "your having a laugh old son" Groan.
Bernie and I were watching the birds on me feeders last night when we spotted a little wood-mouse making a furtive journey from me shed to the base of the feeders - it was very comical to see - until a bloody great rat came out behind it! Now I know that rats are all around us these days, and by and large they do us no harm, but I guess they do have to be controlled, so to that end - it's off to the shops for some rat poison - which unfortunately will also take out the wood mice - I truly wish there were an alternative - sad really aint it.
Regards
Roger
Ps, Bernie said Hello - and goodbye - I will forward your email to hime once he is back home - so you can expect to hear from him soon. He is very knowlegeable, and his field of expertise is woodlands, plants, butterflies, insects etc.