Remember Remember

Remember Remember the 5th November. To celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot Clare and I went to the bonfire and firework display at St Margaret’s C of E school in Olton. We have done this for the last few years. It’s a great display (put on by Solihull Fireworks) that lasts for about 20 minutes.

Hot drinks and food stalls helps fend off the cold (despite it being mild for the type of year it is still quite chilly having stood around for an hour and a half). After the display we paid my parents a visit and, having had baked potatoes, spent the rest of the evening playing Yahtzee.

Early in the day we headed over to Sandwell Valley to see what migrant birds had arrived. Although still fairly quiet we had Teal, Goosander and Snipe on and around the lake. On the walk to the lake we noticed a flock of birds at the top of a Poplar Tree. On closer inspection the flock was comprised of Goldfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll and totalled about 20. Other birds included Redwing, Mediterranean Gull, Lapwing, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Kestrel and Buzzard as well as the usual Black Headed Gulls, Blue Tits, Great Tits and the like.

Sunday was a quiet day. Having spent some time wandering around the shops in Solihull we returned home. I spent the afternoon watching the football and listening to music.

After dinner we settled down to watch Harry Brown. Michael Caine plays a pensioner who lives on a housing estate which is terrorised by kids. Having lost his wife to illness and his best mate at the hands of the teenagers he finds himself alone in the world. With nothing left to lose he decides to take on the teenagers.

This is a dark film. It’s violent and paints a grim picture. At times farfetched and at times extremely accurate. Great performances by Ben Drew and Jack O'Connell who played gang members made for some very realistic scenes and some uncomfortable viewing.

I can’t say whether I enjoyed the film or not, perhaps it was the subject matter, but I’m glad I took the time to watch it.

Cornwall

The following day – Friday 21st I packed my bag and headed off to Cornwall. A couple of days visiting family. Arriving Friday evening it was a quiet night in with a takeaway.

Saturday and having spent an hour or so on Praa Sands (T-shirt weather in October!) It was off to Hayle Estuary for a spot of bird spotting. Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Oyster Catcher, Little Egret, Shelduck as well as Black Headed Gulls, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a highlight for me a Whimbrel!

To be honest, I wished I'd stayed longer and got a bit closer to the birds as I'm sure I missed loads but I intend on going back in the not too distant future.

Sunday Sunday

An early start on Sunday for a trip to Solihull Nature Reserve.  Arriving at sun up we managed to see the best part of 40 species of bird in just under 2 hours.  Not bad for what is in fact a park with a couple of fields attached. 

Redwing, Fieldfare, Brambling, and a couple of Green Woodpeckers were amongst the highlights but my favourite was the return of the Mute/Whooper hybrid swans on the lake.  I last saw them on January 10th!

Having arrived home the rest of the day was spent listening to music and watching Blues take on Leicester City (live on BBC 1).  A dismal first half and an action packed second.  A penalty to Blues (Marlon King putting it in the bottom corner giving Blues a 1-0 advantage), Not long after Leicester, were reduced to 10 men but still managed to put up a fight until a great move by Blues on the counter attack saw Chris Wood fire home Blues' second.

Pottering Around

Today has been a lovely autumn day.  A crisp start and clear skies and sunshine that is still quite warm as the day goes on. 

This morning brought the first of the Redwings. Five of them in the Yew tree in the garden.  Clare and I went over to Knowle to have a wander around the shops.  We walked the quarter mile down to the locks to see what was around.  A pair of Buzzards, a flock of Long Tailed Tits, a pair of Wrens as well as the usual Black Headed Gulls, Pigeons, Magpies and Crows.  Clare saw a Kingfisher which I missed.  I heard it but was too slow. 

Despite our leisurely day it has flown by!

Kingsbury Water Park

I can remember, many years ago, my school mates going to Kingsbury Water Park.  It opened in 1975 so would have still been a fairly new attraction.  I never did visit. 

Yesterday, with temperatures the warmest on record for October (around 27 degrees in Birmingham and 29.9  down in Kent!) we made our way over to Kingsbury.

It's a great place, 15 pools, some of them quite large.  Some you can fish and others are for sailing, powerboats and you can even jet ski!.  The far side, however, is left to the wildlife with 3 hides overlooking 2 lakes.

As we made our way over to the hides I spotted a Little Egret on one of the quiet pools. My first one!  We ended up with 3 Little Egrets at the end of the day.  We also had 2 Snipe a Kingfisher, 27 Cormorant and a whole host of ducks. 

Wandering the paths in the sunshine.  Exploring the lakes before coming across big stretches of grass I can understand why my school mates liked it so much.  There is even a miniature railway, although it wasn't running yesterday. 

I will definitely be going back again soon although I imagine the weather won't be quite as nice next time.

Stratford Food Festival and RSPB Sandwell

From the title above you can pretty much work out what I did with my weekend.

Saturday and Clare and I nipped over to Sandwell to see if any of the winter migrants had arrived.  We've enjoyed the guided walks throughoutthe  year, opting for a monthly visit rather than joining the tour every fortnight.  The amount of people has varied throughout the summer but last week there were 3 volunteers and just Clare and myself. 

It was a good day and as there was only a couple of us we decided to walk all the way around the lake.  We managed to see around 40 species. Highlights were the Mediterranean Gull amongst a flock of Black Headed Gulls and 3 Snipe (that were spooked by a member of the public flying a kite over the reserve). Other species seen included Teal, Grey Wagtail and 3 late Swallows.

The day had started well.  As we walked through Tudor Grange Park on our way to get breakfast we spotted a Kingfisher sitting by the stream before flying to a branch overhanging the lake. Then as we made our way to the reserve I spotted a bird book in a box outside a charity shop.  I remembered the book from my childhood and have been trying to get a copy for some time and here it was for £1!  I couldn't believe my luck.  Considering the age of it as well it is in a really good condition!

Arriving home later than expected I spent the night in front of the TV with a pizza.

Sunday started grey and wet and after a bit of deliberation we decided we still go and check out Stratford Food Festival.  It was a good call as eventually it did brighten up a little and with the exception of a couple of showers stayed dry.

Having arrived in Startford fairly early we decided to have a drink and a bite to eat and stumbled across a place called The Real Tea Cafe.  It offered a large selection of teas (Clare opting for a Builder's Brew) and various forms of coffee. The place itself has bright modern decor but also retains a feel of the traditional.  The staff were friendly and the prices reasonable.  A lovely little place which not only ourselves but also the customers who arrived after us remarked upon. If you're in Stratford check it out.  It beats the likes of Starbuck's by a mile!

We browsed the stalls on our way to the festival proper and found some lovely things. Carluccio's mushroom stall being my favourite. It was full of all kinds of mushrooms and although I didn't buy anything I could have stared at it for ages. It looked fantastic.

Having paid our money to get in it wasn't long before I stumbled across a gin stand. Having listened to the sales pitch and had a sample I soon parted with £25 and reserved a bottle of Foxdentons 48% London Dry Gin. I also bought a bottle of Edinburgh Gin and am looking forward to drinking them both.

Other things we bought included chocolate, bread, cheese, olives, blackberry lemonade, biscuits and a tin of black pepper. We also got some lemon garnishing oil and some tarragon wine vinegar!

 I have to say it wasn't the cheapest of days. Ironically, we had to leave the food festival to go ad get lunch. A toasted sandwich at Cox's Boat Yard did the trick.  Again another lovely little cafe with pleasant staff and nice surroundings but just a little overpriced.

After lunch we headed back to the festival had a last wander around before picking up my gin and heading home, stopping at the market to pick up a couple of jars on the way. Typically the sun decided to make an appearance at around the same time.

Doxey Marshes

Today I've been to Doxey Marshes in Staffordshire.  I've been meaning to go for some time and finally managed to get here today.

A short walk along the river from the train station will get you there.  At first it didn't look that big but there are plenty of paths to walk and quite a few areas of water with a hide overlooking the main lake.  The highlight of the day was a Marsh Harrier!  I watched it for ages as it slowly flew over the reed beds.  Another highlight was a Kestrel that took off from a tree and flew directly past me.  It could have only been a few feet away.

Other birds included, Lapwing Greylag Goose, Shoveller, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Buzzard and flocks of Goldfinch. There were a lot of Coots and too many Canada Geese and I was surprised at the lack of wading birds but on the whole not a bad place to go to watch birds.

After leaving the marshes I had a walk around Stafford Town Centre and had a lovely meal of Mushroom and Spinach pie and chips (from Sainsbury's of all places!).

All in all, not a bad day.  The weather forecast hadn't bode well but with the exception of the odd shower it was fine. With some prolonged sunny spells. I will definitely head back there at some point. 

Another Week Passes By

Here we are again, over a week since my last post.  So what have I been up to since then?  Let's start with last Thursday.

Thursday night and St Andrew's played host to European football for the first time in 50 years (not including the Anglo Italian Cup in the early 90s) and I was there along with nearly 28,000 other supporters to witness Blues cruise into the group stages of the Europa League.

A nervy start saw Nacional have the better of the play but after about 15 minutes the game settled down. This was due largely to a cracking goal by Nathan Redmond, 17 years old and already a crowd favourite. 

The second goal came a few minutes later via Murphy's head.  Blues were making it look easy!  It was great to see us going forward and players actually queueing in the box to have a go.  A massive contrast to last year!

The third and final goal came in the second half. Chris Wood wrapped it up for Blues in the 86th minute.  I great evenings entertainment and all for a tenner.  Can't be bad. 

Friday and I missed the draw for the next round as I was at a family occasion over in Derbyshire.  It was good to see cousins again after 20 years. Hopefully we'll stay in touch now.

Saturday was a quiet day and on Sunday Clare and I headed to Sutton Park.  I'd not been there for years!  The weather was grey and a little on the chilly side when the wind got up but it was nice to wander around.   When we first arrived I noticed a rabbit in a field.  He was wild and kept disappearing into his warren.  The odd thing was he was jet black!

We wandered around the lakes and through the woods for a good couple of hours and eventually found the Blackroot Bistro. Stopping here, we had a bite to eat.  Clare ended up taking her bowl of chips back as there must have been half an inch of oil at the bottom and they were under cooked.  It's a shame as it was nice sitting under a brolly with a hot drink and food as the rain came down.

We intended to do some bird spotting whilst there ad came away with a pretty average list although we did see a bird of prey which we were unable to identify.  My gut instinct was Hen Harrier but I couldn't say for certain.

My gut instinct was ruled out on Monday when we went to Sandwell Valley. They had been reports of Snipe but it turned out one had been seen flying over. 

We arrived and as we approached the marsh we heard the distinctive call of Water Rail.  Things were looking good.  As it was we didn't see anything new but it was good to see hundreds of House Martins (and the odd Sand Martin) feeding over the river and lake.

Whilst looking at the lake we bumped into one of the volunteers who we'd seen a couple of times before.  We got chatting and he was giving us handy hints and telling us the best places to see this or that. I asked him whether it was a Hen Harrier we had seen but he didn't think it was.  He offered up no alternatives. We ended up walking over to Forge Mill Farm and sat around with a hot chocolate each, chatting. 

Eventually we went our own ways.  Clare and I decided we would explore more of the valley.  We walked around Swan Pool and up tracks and through woods eventually coming out on one of the two golf courses. Despite the map stating it was a public footpath it was at this point we turned around and headed back to The Reserve.

So there you go, brief but at least we are all up to date again.

Out And About

Over a week since my last post! So, what have I been up to?  Not much going on in the week although last Thursday saw the return of Big Brother!

Having ended on Channel 4 last year, Channel 5 not only bought the format but also the set and voice over man by the looks of things.  Last Thursday saw it's launch with Celebrity Big Brother. I was surprised by the lack of celebrities.  Bored from the outset I've not bothered with it and from what I can gather I'm not the only one.

Thursday also saw Birmingham City play their first match in a bona fide European competition for about 50 years.  Away to CD Nacional in Portugal in the Europa League they were unlucky not to come away with a win, having hit the woodwork 3 times.  It ended up 0-0 with the return leg at St Andrew's on Thursday.

I would have loved to have been there but instead had to make do with the live text on the BBC.

Friday and Clare and I headed for The Electric Cinema to see The Guard.  Having been given the 4 seater sofa (for the price of two) I settled back with my G&T and a bowl of olives to watch the film.  It's a great way to start the weekend and the film did not disappoint.

Starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle it tells the story of  a policeman in a small Irish town who, with the help of an FBI agent, smash a drug smuggling ring. 

I really enjoyed it and thought Gleeson was fantastic.  From the outset you are laughing aloud although I think it is pitched just right with the more poignant moments bringing you down to earth. I thoroughly recommend seeing this if you can.

On Saturday we headed off to Slimbridge Wildlife & Wetland Trust.  Although they have a large collection of birds it is also a fantastic place to see wild birds.  I didn't see as many new ones as I'd hoped but can now add Bar Tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Redshank and Rook to my list.

When we first arrived we had a spot of rain but it brightened up as the day went on.  It was a good day out and met a lovely bloke in one of the hides who was happy to let us use his scope. We chatted for so long that it meant we didn't have time to get over to the River Severn and the last hide.  That will have to wait for another time.  We also met a few odd people including a strange fellow on the way to New Street Station (he must have mentioned he worked part time at a local college at least 3 times in 5 minutes) and a taxi driver who was heavily in debt but had a love of flying machines (gyrocoptors, microlites etc.).

The only downside to the day were the trains on our journey home.  First we were delayed by 30 minutes at Gloucester and by over an hour at  Birmingham Moor Street. This meant it took us over 4.5 hours to get home!

Sunday was spent shopping in Birmingham and later that day my parents popped over for a couple of hours.

As usual the weekend flew by and before I knew it the working week was upon me once again.

Not What I Expected

It's been an odd day today.  We decided, this morning, we would head to Wolverhampton and go and visit Bantock House, believing it to be similar to Winterbourne Gardens.

Arriving in the city centre we decided the best way to get there was to get a cab.  At first the cab driver wouldn't take us but when he realised we were from out of town he changed his mind. Strange that!  He was very chatty and a little camp but the 5 minute journey (£5 fare) was pleasant enough.

The brochure for Bantock House led us to believe that we could spend ages wandering around the house and gardens and so we were surprised to find a very small garden attached to a park. 

The house itself is lovely and the staff were friendly.  There just wasn't enough of it! 

Having stopped at the cafe we decided to walk around the park.  Although pleasant enough there isn't much there.  Just a green space surrounded on all sides by main roads.  So much for getting lost exploring!

We left feeling a little disappointed and decided to walk back into the city centre.  It took about 15 minutes.  We had a couple of hours going around the shops before heading back to the station.

Getting home around 4.30ish meant I we had time to watch the end of the cricket.  England seem to be in control of the Second Test against India with leading by 374 runs at the end of Day 3.

A bizarre incident occurred when Bell was run out on the final ball before tea.  Believing the final ball had been hit for four he left his crease and headed off the field.  The ball however had not made the boundary and India knocked the bails off his wicket.  During tea behind the scenes a decision was reached that, even though India were correct and Bell had been fairly dismissed, he would be able to take to the wicket again after the break.  I admire India's sense of fair play but if I'm honest I wouldn't have changed my mind!

The weather has been lovely over the last couple of days and yesterday we headed to RSPB Sandwell for our monthly walk.  Bird wise it was very quiet but we did see quite a lot of butterflies including Peacock, Small Tortoise Shell, Green Veined White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and a Small Copper.

Having spent the best part of the day wandering around we got back just in time to see Broad get his first test hat-trick.  A maiden over, 0-0-W-W-W-0.  A great display!

With the sunshine and the cricket, the last couple of days has felt like the first proper summer weekend of the year and I'm hoping it continues for a while longer!

The weekend started with a quiet Friday in front of London Boulevard.  With a cast that includes Ray Winstone, Colin Farrel, Keira Knightly it tells the story of a man who is released from prison but finds himself being dragged back into the underworld by gangsters.  Refusing to be drawn in he decides to go head to head with the top man. 

I really enjoyed the film.  It wouldn't make it onto my best of lists but for a couple of hours entertainment it was perfect.  For me Jordan (an out of work classically trained actor who spent his time getting stoned)  played by David Thewlis stole the show although all the parts were well thought out and well acted.

Last Weekend

The problem with a good weekend is that it is harder to get up on a Monday morning and that's what happened to me this morning.  It's not easy to motivate yourself on a grey, albeit warm, Monday morning at 6am. The weekend was lovely but as is usually the case over far too quickly!

Friday afternoon was spent watching the Wimbledon semi final between Murray and Nadal. I'm not a big tennis fan but enjoyed the match (which Murray lost 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-4).  The rest of the evening was spent listening to music which is something I don't do often enough these days.

Saturday and it was our monthly trip to Sandwell RSPB reserve.  The day was glorious travelling over, with blue skies and plenty of sunshine, but as we arrived at the reserve it started to cloud over.

This time of year is the quiet period for birds and although it certainly seemed that way going round when we arrived back at the centre we had a tally of 40 plus birds seen. These included Lapwing, Pochard, and Sparrowhawk.

After the guided tour Clare and I headed off in search of some Parakeet and bumped into two women, who were lovely but kept us talking for at least half an hour about all the birds and animals that had seen on their trips to Scotland.  Having spent so long chatting we decided to abandon the search for the parakeets and instead headed back across the reserve to the dairy farm on the other side.

Forge Mill Farm is a working farm.  They have Jersey cows and you can watch them being milked at times throughout the day.  We did this and we also fed the goats and chickens.  There isn't much else there to be honest and I was surprised at the lack of food on offer.  A packet of crisps and some orange juice had to suffice.  The shop was reasonably priced which made a change.

The evening was spent watching Black Swan.  It wasn't at all what I expected and I have to say I really enjoyed it, although it did leave me a little confused. I imagine most people know it is set in the world of ballet but I won't spoil the plot for those that are still to see it.

I noticed that the music was credited to Clint Mansell.  I wondered if it was the same Clint Mansell of Pop Will Eat Itself fame.  It turns out that not only is it the same person but he also wo an Oscar for it!

Sunday and with weather similar to Saturday (bright and war whilst travelling and clouding over when we arrive) we headed to Winterbourne House and Gardens.  Part of Birmingham University, it opened it's doors to the public last year. 

The Edwardian House and Gardens was built in 1903 and belonged to the Nettlefold family. The gardens were created in the Arts & Craft style.  It's about six acres and boasts various landscapes including a woodland walk that leads you to the lake on Edgbaston golf course.  It's a lovely place and was fairly quiet.  Having explored the gardens we had something to eat at the terrace cafe. Sitting outside overlooking the gardens was lovely.  A woman close to us had a sparrow land in her hair which was quite amusing.

A stable has been converted to a second hand book stall and we browsed before we heading into the house itself.  Entrance to the house is free as only the downstairs rooms are open but it was still nice to get an insight into the original owner's world.

Having been around the house we did a quick circuit of the gardens again before heading home.  All in all a relaxing day and a great way to spend a summer Sunday

Leamington Peace Festival

Leamington Spa's Peace Festival has been running for the last 32 years.  It's free and has plenty of stalls and two stages for live music.  It is spread over two days and on Saturday Clare and I happened upon it by chance.

Saturday, we had planned on a day of shopping and milling about but when we arrived we came across the festival setting up in The Pump Room Gardens. 

We wandered around the shops and picked up some bits n pieces. I managed to buy the Franz Ferdinand Covers vinyl that I didn't get on Record Store Day and we stopped off at Delicious by FT for a bite to eat.  The food was fine but the homemade lemonade not only looked fantastic but tasted great as well.  If only the weather justified such a lovely drink!

Having finished the shopping we headed to the festival (by passing the record fayre).  We wandered around the stalls looking for stuff that might come handy at End Of The Road, whilst keeping an eye on the main  stage. 

The band playing were called The Powderblue Band who were pretty good.  We also caught some of TenSheds on the bandstand. Another good band. 

Other acts throughout the weekend included Rory McLeod and Attila The Stock Broker.  Guest speakers and workshops are also on offer.  The strangest thing I saw other than the Hunt Saboteur Stand was Gong Massage.  You lean with your back against the gong and some one plays it up and down your back for ten minutes! Very relaxing apparently.  Having toyed with and then dismissed buying a poncho we left. I still can't believe I'd not heard of it before but we will be going back next year.

You can find their website below along with Tensheds and The Powderblue Band's sites.

http://www.peacefestival.org.uk/

http://www.thepowderblueband.co.uk/

http://www.tensheds.com/

Sunday and we headed to Blakesley Hall for their Falconry Day.  It was quite busy and we arrived after the first display had started so we opted for the cafe instead.  Eventually we wandered over to catch the end of the display.  We arrived as the crowd was being introduced to Scratchy a hybrid Falcoln (part Gyr part Sekar),  The plan was that Scratchy would fly off and catch his food (attached to a lure) in the air.  As it happened and soon as Scratchy was airborne he was attacked by three gulls and a crow and so flew off behind the house and just kept going!  No amount of calling or whistling could get him back! Luckily he had a radio tag on so his handler could track him for up to 5 miles.  It wasn't long before the signal disappeared altogether. 

The shows continued and we were introduced to an Eagle, Perrigrine hybrid, a couple of owls and a Kestrel but I kept wondering about Scratchy.  We went home not knowing if he had been lost forever. 

Clare mailed the Falconry Centre the following day and apparently Scratchy had been found at 7pm the same evening 2 miles away. All's well that ends well.

The birds came from The Falconry Centre in Hagley.  When we get the chance we are going to visit properly and if possible do one of their handling experience days.

http://www.thefalconrycentre.co.uk/

Earlswood Lakes (The Back Up Plan)

Yesterday's plan was to have a day out at Doxey Marshes in Staffordshire but the weather forecast suggested heavy rain and so we decided to stay local.
After ruling out trips to Stratford & Leamington we decided upon Earlswood again.  It's local and still had bits we hadn't explored. 

After breakfast we headed off and arrived about 10.30.  The sun was shining and the sky was blue but in the shade of trees, at the waterside it felt quite chilly.

We walked around the lakes before heading off towards Clowes Wood. On the third lake (Terry's Pool) were 3 Greylag Geese that we hadn't seen before. 

We headed into the wood and followed the path of the railway line and down the other side.  As we headed back into the dense trees I saw a flash of orange and then blue.  A Kingfisher.  The odd thing was that there didn't seem to be any water other than a stagnant stream. We hung around but it never returned. 

Once we had reached the far end of the wood the dark clouds in the distance were upon us and so we headed back.  Luckily the rain held off and we managed to get out of the woods and all the way back to Manor Farm Craft Centre where we had a sandwich and a bowl of chips at the Manor House Cafe.

Afterwards we had a look around the units and Clare bought some earrings.  It was at this point we had the first large shower.  We sheltered in a doorway until it passed and then headed off, taking in the lakes once more before going home.

I Don't Like Mondays

The start of the working week comes around all too quickly.  I find Monday mornings particularly hard after a weekend spent in green surroundings.  Having spent Saturday at Sandwell we headed to Solihull Nature Reserve yesterday.  We headed over quite early (got there at just gone 7am) and had seen over twenty different species of bird within the first hour.  It was grey and chilly and so we went back into Solihull to get a coffee and warm up before heading back to the Reserve. 

The sun eventually came out and we spent ages sitting on an old tree trunk watching Whitethroats flit amongst the undergrowth. It was great to watch them rising from the ground, hover and then dive bomb back into the long grass.  We also saw a Lesser Whitethroat. 

We headed home about lunchtime having seen over 35 species. Highlights for me included the Buzzard being harassed by 7 crows (they only left it alone when they went after a Kestrel instead), 3 Goldcrest flitting around a tree and the Lesser Whitethroat.

Signing Up

So Clare and I finally did it.  We have talked about it for some time and today we finally took the plunge.  We joined the RSPB.  Having made our way to Sandwell Valley for their guided walk we took the opportunity to sign up.  For our money we came away with the latest copy of the RSPB quarterly magazine, a welcome pack and a lovely book on Garden Wildlife.  Not only that but we also have the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing something to help our wildlife.

The day itself promised to be a good one, warm and sunny!  As we headed over to Sandwell it was lovely but at the start of the walk it turned cloudy.  Not only that but the birds seemed to have disappeared!  We got to the lake and all the usual suspects were there Lapwing, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Mallard.  There were a couple of Common Terns, Lesser Black Backed Gull and plenty of Canada Geese.  At the hide we watched a Great Crested Grebe making repairs to it's nest. Also on a nest was an Oyster Catcher. 

The highlight for me was a Black Tailed Godwit which we watched wading through the marsh.

We got home in time for the England versus Switzerland match.  If I'm honest I hadn't really given it a second thought.  I've sort of grown tired with the whole England Football Team.  A manager who we don't want and who doesn't want to be there. On the pitch it's the same old faces and the same old lack lustre performance. 

As a Euro qualifier it should have been a much more exciting prospect but it didn't really fire the imagination. I put the TV on but rather than watch it properly I just had it on the background.  In the first half England went 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-1 through a Lampard penalty.  In the second half Ashley Young levelled the scoring.  The game finished 2-2 and England are still top the group but I can't for one moment believe that, if we qualify, we could actually go on to win the competition.

Barn Owls Or Lack Of

Last night Clare and I headed over to Solihull Nature Reserve to see if we could spot a an owl.  Last year we were told that barn owls had nested in one of the boxes and, if you were lucky, you might see one.We decide to gamble on them being there again his year and so after dinner we strolled over to the reserve. 

We arrived about 7.30pm and stayed until nearly 10pm, waiting for dusk to arrive.  We didn't see a barn owl but in the couple of hours we were there we managed to see Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Swallow and Swift as well as many others.  There were also a couple of others that were too quick to identify but I have a sneaky suspicion one of them was a Sedge Warbler.  We heard Chiffchaff and there was a very loud Song Thrush sitting atop a tree. 

As the light faded we could hear an irate blackbird.  It seemed to be coming our way.  All of a sudden, swooping low over the reeds, a bird came into view and disappeared into the trees.  What  looked like a bird of prey was being chased by the blackbird. The poor light and speed meant we never saw it clearly enough to identify it.  I'd love to know what it was.

As it stands I may never know and not long after we headed back through the park in the semi darkness and home. 

Bank Holiday Weekend

It's a grey and wet Bank Holiday Monday and so I'm not venturing out today,  Instead I'm going to stay at home and spend the afternoon listening to music. I'm going to do an End Of The Road playlist as this year I have decided not to go to Moseley Folk Festival and head off to Dorset instead.  With the likes of The Fall, Mogwai, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Allo Darlin' and Beirut it is too good to miss.

Despite the weather it hasn't been a bad day so far.  Earlier Clare checked her bank and it looks like we've been allocated tickets for the Olympics although we have no idea which event we will be going to (don't get me started on the whole ticket process thing. The way it has been handled is terrible but out of the 3 or 4 events we applied for we have managed to get tickets for one at least).

Although the rest of the weekend has been dry it has been grey, windy and a little on the chilly side and so we haven't ventured far. 

Friday, I met Clare and my parents at All Fired Arts before heading to the Kitchen Garden Cafe for afternoon tea.  It's not the cheapest but the sandwich was lovely. You also get a scone and a slice of cake, washed down with a large cup of coffee.
Saturday, Clare and I went into Knowle, bought bread from the The Bread Collection bakery and had a look around the shops.  On the evening we settled down to watch the Champions League Final between Manchester Utd and FC Barcelona.  A good game, held at Wembley, which Barcelona won 3-1 (which I was chuffed about). Rodriguez put Barcelona ahead after 27 minutes. Rooney levelled the score 7 minutes later.  In the second half  goals from Messi (54) and Villa (69) put the game beyond Man Utd.

Sunday, Clare and I went to Solihull Nature Reserve. We stopped at the cafe in the park before following a footpath alongside the River Blythe. It takes you through the woods and out into an open field alongside the M42.  We followed the path for a bit and then took the bridge over the motorway and onto the fields beyond.  We decided to turn around and head back, saving the footpath for another day.

Whilst following the path we came across a Greater Spotted Woodpecker nest.  A hole in a dead branch of a tree we could hear the chick calling from some way away.  As we stared up at the tree a small red head popped out of the hole! We watched for a while before moving on.

We saw about 30 species of bird including Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Chaffinch and Bullfinch.

After the walk we headed back to the cafe where we met my parents for a bite to eat. They said they would like to see the Woodpecker and so we headed back along the path.  When we reached the field we found the gate was blocked by cows who had no intention of letting us into the field.

Having been over the reserve for over six hours we decided to head home, my parents joining us for coffee.  Not long after they had left my brother arrived. He stayed for most of the evening and when his girlfriend picked him up she also popped in for a bit.  It was a lovely day spent with my family.

Here We Go Again!

Having missed out on seeing the Night Heron on Sunday we decided we should give it another go and so last night we went back to Earlswood Lakes.

We arrived about 6.30pm and headed off around the lakes scanning the trees and the undergrowth.  It was a fantastic evening, and the lakes looked lovely with the blue skies above and the sun reflecting upon the water.  The ducks were present (although we didn't see the Mandarin Duck that is there) as were the terns, gulls, geese, grebes and swans.  Swifts and swallows skimmed across the water and, as the sun went down, the fish started to jump.

Having spent an hour and a half looking we were still no closer to seeing the Night Heron.  We headed back towards the road and as we came towards the end of the lake we found a small group of bird spotters.  I asked if they were waiting for the Night Heron and they said they were.  They seemed much friendlier than the ones we encountered on Sunday and so we took up a spot close to them.

As the sun got lower the insects were swarming over the water and all around us. We had been there about 15 minutes (8.15pm) when the birders started to watch the silhouette of a bird approaching from the lake we had just come from.  At first I mistook it for a crow but as it got closer I realised that this was what we had been looking for.  The bird was making it's nightly journey over the lakes to the canal.  We watched it pass and head beyond the trees behind us before rising up and turning a couple of times and then disappearing. The whole thing lasted about a minute.

We hung around until just gone 9pm. The bird watchers we had first spoken with had mainly disappeared but they were replaced by about a dozen others who seemed a bit miffed to be told they had missed it.

Whether it flew back or not I don't know. It was getting cold and we had achieved our goal so we called it a day and headed to the pub.  Just before we left I heard one of the birders say that that was the first Night Heron he had seen in over 25years of bird spotting.  

 

Usually found in Southern Europe, Asia, Africa & The Americas, the Night Heron is a rare visitor to this country.  Usually there are about 10 recorded visits a year.  With one just a couple of miles down the road I'm really chuffed I was able to see it

PS  All the pictures are mine except the one of the bird itself.  That was taken by a Mr Dave Hutton. I would've loved to have seen it that clearly!