Migrants and others

Well some more bits and pieces.....
the migrants are arriving - along with "Yank" waders and others....obviously having taken a ride across the pond along the tail end of the high winds...hopefully there might be enough of some of them that they stay overwinter and stay to breed! ;)

Was very tempted to journey to the far west today! Scillies calling - but my grown up self wrested control and I stayed!
I have some organising and shopping to do with the replacement of my present "patio" with a proper one!Builder is preparing plans and estimates - and I have to find the paving/slabs. Thought this was cracked but turns out need a patio pack!

The Garden is a shambles - so "patio" first then in will come a natural gardener to sort out my postage stamp! I have a wild area - I want to develop that along with the feeders - and that pond needs to be sorted too. The basics are there - just needs sorting!

Shetland looms.....

I have a lot to do workwise this week - and Shetland is around the corner.....

so what year ticks have I picked up on - Baird's and Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Grey Phalarope all in the south.

I saw a Pallid Harrier in Essex on Saturday late afternoon - wonder if it will move on to Kent or Sussex?

Had an interseting event this week when I opened a new cycle/walking path at Crane Park (shared Park with Richmond on one side of the river and us (Hounslow) on the other. Brilliant improvement. Great to be with some kids from Crane Park School whizzing around safely on their bikes!Lovely day for a walk to the Shot Tower and look at posters created by children from 3 local schools. First time I had had the opportunity to go to the top of the Tower - good views and much to the surprise of one of the workers we did see some birds from the top- RN Parakeets (unfortunately!) Wood pigeons- and then a pair of Jays - always a lovely bird to see and the woman was very surprised to see any birds - despite being at the same height as the surrounding trees apparently they rarely see any!

ok

THe inherited cat who rules my life!

So the Montage is in the Dining/kitchen room! Up instead of the LGS painting - and fits perfectly - so the Martial Eagle in the tree is bang opposite my eye line so I can see all the birds!

The LGS painting is going to be hung in the hall were my hand made mirror is - thats going to the top of the stairs after the carpet is changed - cant bear the blue carpet anymore- its been there 15 years!

At the mo tho its in the lounge - on the table under "The White Ship 2" beautifully re framed by a local company who found me the perfect non reflective glass so it can hang opposite my large windows at the front of the house."The Whoite Ship 1" was also in need of reframing- ok so both cost me a fair but a brilliant job done by the Company in St.Margarets.

There is a bit of work going on in the house again- I have to sort everything that came down from the loft- I want to recycle what is not required - ie books to local charity shops and "rubbish sorted!"

Now the garden- spent a bit of today looking at possible slabs/stones for the new patio--Pat had a go at advice and design- found what I wanted at Homebase! Looked all over- trade place and wyevale garden centre!
Just need the guy who will do the work to connect and we can get going on the ordering - hope he can do work when I go to Shetland- especially as I want the concrete outside the back door all replaced!

The Photo Montage

Well my birthday present arrived at my house today - here is a pic - I will publish each of these photos eventually! Remember they are copywrite of Pat Simmons.





Now an interesting id task I wonder if any of you can id all of the birds?
Or even some of the birds.
I shall not say anything yet!

Now I have a tricky problem - where to hang my Montage? Its sitting at the moment on a table in my front room - the Lounge! Now this room is home to my friends paintings
I have 5/6 I own from Laura Gethen Smith (one is in the Dining room)- do I mix - I dont like to hang anything on the wall where the radiator is - so really the only place is above the fireplace where "Drift" lives - now this could be hung in the room as well - but the frame of the montage is very pale and the mantle piece is much darker - and as some of the birds are quite small they need to be somewhere where one can see them properly so it cant go too high!

I will decide over the next day or so!

Just happy to have my record of the trip here!

Best Birthday Present so far?

Cant wait for Saturday and Sunday - for some birding action! Best present so far?

My friend who came to Tanzania with me - the photographer, Pat brought the work so far to show me yesterday.

My top ten birds of the trip (her photos) plus some others she thought I would like as a photo montage....so its birds from the trip...they look cool- she is seeking out a proper mount, which appears tricky- before placing in the frame and then I will get to hang them up somewhere in the house!

I was vaguely thinking of trying something like this with my pics- I bet it has taken hours! Best bit though is she had to id the ten birds from all those photos - so she is getting to be a better birder! lol!

Funny I never even thought it strange when she started asking me questions at the end of the trip as to my top 3 birds- then 10 [funny - I thought I had actually mentioned 20! lol I jest;)]

Cant wait to take a photo of it to share!