A dry start to the day but overcast with everything dripping from last night’s storm. We headed over to the arroyo but our path was under a torrent of water so we were forced to double back and head up the opposite hill. The sun soon came out, as did a mixed flock of Crag and House martins, Pallid swifts, Red-rumped and Barn Swallows. Very rarely do I manage a shot of these fabulous flyers, and although I had brought the camera, my rusty results aren’t worth sharing.
I did manage to get a shot of this Rock bunting…
And a very chirpy Serin on a telephone wire….
The telephone installers were due, and the sky duly filled in again so Billy and I hurried home.
We have internet! Did I miss not having a wi-fi connection at home? Absolutely! It did get me thinking about going off-line for a time, as not being connected has become quite stress-inducing. Maybe a couple of week’s bike packing would help to bring some balance back. As it stands, the first thing I do each morning is flip open the lap top and check on my levels of connectivity eg. emails, whatssap messages, facebook and the rest.
Anyway, I digress. Talking about Spring and mating birds, Billy and I were treated to a pair of Kestrels showing off their aerial skills. Although the photos aren’t great, I was pleased to capture at least a flavour of the display.
Last bird on our walk was this Woodchat shrike, with an unwanted twig in the way!
Back Door Birding 
2 respuestas a “Love in the air”
It was good to receive your BBB dear Greg. Thank you. Water shortage? It was only yesterday that I was hoping you could swim with all the rain you in Spain were having. So many good things happening. You now have a new home, with back door, lawn and lemon tree – was that it in the photograph? I remember seeing oranges on trees in Israel and thinking they must have been stuck on. I’m just now reading Orwell’s 1984. Winston has escaped BigBrother surveillance into the forest: “A thrush had alighted on a bough, it had not seen him. It spread out its wings, fitted them carefully into place – ducked its head for a moment, then began to pour forth a torrent of song. For whom, for what, was that bird singing? No mate, no rival was watching it. What made it sit at the edge of the lonely wood and pour its music into nothingness? It was as though it were a kind of liquid stuff that poured all over him and got mixed up with the sunlight that filtered through the leaves”. For me, placed on the edge of Woodbridge and the A12 (ahh yes, you’ve been here) it is the time of the pigeon. They are eyeing up the large fuschia bush in the middle patio whilst courting whenever there’s a likely mate somewhere nearby. They have nested there before so hopefully they will come back again. Maureen xxxxxxx
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Dear Maureen. How lovely to hear from you, and yes, that is my lemon tree in the photo, with my landlady’s dog!
It does feel rather strange, being in a house, having spent my entire time here in blocks of flats. I have to pinch myself, and stop myself from appearing smug to my friends.
That’s a lovely description of the Song thrush. They would perch up in the Poplar trees on my way to the train station on the Isle of Dogs in the middle of Winter and sing just for me, or so it seemed at the time.
I’m so glad you are enjoying my musings and attempts at photography.
Much love,
Greg
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