Purple Heather

Wednesday 12th August, Uttoxeter Quarry, 19:00 - 20:45.

A Garganey was found the previous evening, by the Blurred Birder. Fortunately the Garganey was still around this evening.



As was a Wood Sandpiper (albeit briefly), Little Egret, 15 Goosander, 8 Curlew and a Common Sandpiper.

Sunday 16th August.

I fancied a bit of a change of scene, so I did some birding up in the moors. Which was mostly a stuggle just to see any birds at all! But the undoubted highlight was a Whinchat at Knotbury, along with 10 Red Grouse and 5 Ravens up there. I've heard that Whinchats and Wheatears have been in short supply in the moors this year, so one today was most pleasing.



You also get a spectacular splash of colour at this time of year, when all the heather is in bloom.



Three Shires Head in an impressive cloak of purple, that even Prince (or is he still "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince"?) would enjoy.

I think that's it for blogging for a couple of weeks or so. I'm going away next week. This land lubber is off on the high seas, arrrr! Well, the Pride of Bilbao anyway!

Is it a pelagic? Is it a cruise? Not really either of them. But I will be with guides from the Company Of Whales. So I've got my fingers crossed for some seabirds and cetaceans between Portsmouth and Bilbao. Then a few days in and around Portsmouth afterwards, so I'll find some places to go birding around there as well.

As a matter of fact, Portsmouth holds one of the biggest disappointments in my life. When I was a little lad, prior to going over to the Isle of Wight on a family holiday, we visited the Mary Rose. Imagine my disappointment when all I saw was a steaming pile of timber!

The good people at TV Cream relive the lead balloon event that I had to endure at school a couple of years before, the raising of the Mary Rose. I thought all the yellow stuff was the ship!

So I might revisit it, armed with a can of petrol. No no, I'm joking! Someone did that to the Cutty Sark.

All will be blogged upon my return.