WALTON-ON-THE-WOLDS

We have been very fortunate with our English summer up until now. We have had rain but it barely affected whatever we were doing on any particular day.

Our location is on Six Hills Farm in Walton-on-the Wolds and as I write this I am looking out on saturated land that needs more sun and no more rain. This is our second day of heavy rain but it is forecast that clear skies will appear later. This is a beautiful renovated barn to stay in and one that we will be back to for this coming Christmas. It is a very good choice and the best accommodation in eleven weeks.

We have set the ‘trail camera’ up but nothing seems to have come close to activate it. There is both Fallow and Muntjac deer in the vicinity, together with Fox, Badger and elegant Hares. They are on show daily but we have only seen one at a time. Buzzards have flown regularly and we know that there is Kestrel here as well. Yesterday morning I walked out and had a good sighting of a Mistle Thrush feeding on the weather beaten cornfield and then I had my treat of the day when a male Yellowhammer flew up and perched on top of the hedge. I watched it for several minutes and was thrilled by its bright yellow head and brown body albeit straggly in the rain. We disturbed two Tawny Owls the other evening but have not heard or seen them since. Apparently there are Barn Owls here as well.

I think that this winter is going to be very tough particularly for the small bird populations. Although there is plenty of good cover with all the hedgerows but the berries seem to have gone already if, they were there at all after this very wet summer.

Sadly there are hardly any birds around the farm buildings and I surmise that there are no suitable nesting sites. I expected that there would be House Sparrows but not one was on view. In fact the last sparrow that we saw were Tree Sparrows at Rutland Water

SAMMI HIPWELL 18 AT LAST!!!

Our main reason for visiting Leicestershire was because our neice Sammi turned 18 on 24th August.  We had a family meal, the food was lovely but expensive and the service was rubbish! But the company was great and we had a fabulous time!!!!!

The following day was the party of the year at Quorn Football Club, who played in their first FA Cup game and won!!  We had an alcoholic time and Sammi drank rather alot of Zambucca (Yuk!)  She received many presents ranging from socks (don´t ask) to proper Champagne!  I didn´t get any Champagne on my 18th!!!!!

Little Sis Joss and Nephew AJ

Birthday Girl and Sean

Joss, Brother In Law Brian and Big Sis Sue

More photos will be on Facebook when I get online at our next lot of accomodation.

HIGHS BUT NO LOWS

I was asked last night by Neal ‘On The Trains’ Ball what was the highlight so far. I had already anticipated that someone would ask this and my instant thought is that it has been all good – so much so that it seems that I have been having a great time everywhere we have been. I know that Michelle will have her own thoughts on this and I suspect that I can name a couple of her highs at least. She will say so later.

The one continual thought that I do have is just how beautiful England really is. We have seen some great trees and the countryside, thankfully, is littered with them. The five hundred or so years old oak at Tockwith sticks in my mind not because of its girth but because it is still there after centuries have past. It has history too for it is recorded that there was a field hospital under its younger limbs by Cromwell after the battle of Marston Moor which occurred a mile or so down the road in 1644.

We are staying at Oakham, Rutland Water is a mere 10 minutes away with great trees surrounded by English greens everywhere one looks. They are all fantastic.

Friday (18^th) was our first visit to a Bird Fair. Lots to see and we did. To pursue our hobbies of birding and photography were on our primary list to achieve. We were also on a research mission to glean as much information in respect of Australia, including Tasmania, and New Zealand. We did that and more when we sat in for talks on, Andalucia, Extremadura and Sierra Andujar. This latter one was given by a birding friend Julian Sykes on how to see ‘El Lince’, the Iberian Lynx.  You can see him on his website at www.juliansykeswildlife.com   It is always good to see someone you know and chat over things. We enjoyed the weekend on some hot English summer days. The sun has really shone for us.

Today Michelle was in Leicester doing family things. I spent the day in the nature reserve. This is a must do site and even the Osprey flew in the afternoon. I concentrated on a few ducks which included Teal, Gadwell, Shoveller, Pochard and Scaup. I saw both Common and Green Sandpipers and also a Little Stint. All very worthwhile and I will go there again before we leave here. Another great day in England with some good moments writing this blog at The Grainstore while downing a pint of Rutland Panther. They have six ales and one mild all of their own and this coming Thursday is the start of the 13th Rutland Beer Festival when they will rack up 70 different ales, beers etc. I have tasted the six but 70! See them on www.grainstorebrewery.com if you are a beer buff like me.              

OLYMPICS TO MINSMERE

It’s time for a ‘down’ day as we have been seeing so much and so, this morning, it is time to catch our proverbial breathe to reflect. In short we are having a bloody fantastic time having combined London’s – or should I say Britain’s  - Olympics with our stay in England. I can still see the images of Eton Dorney, the podium at Hampton Court getting ready to present another gold medal and two Saturday evenings at the Olympic Stadium at Stratford in East London. Terrific stuff, terrific viewing that was full of emotion and national pride.

Whoever came up with the term ‘Games Makers’ for the volunteers deserves a gold medal for enhancing their contribution from that mundane word of ‘steward’.  This should really be given the accolade of ‘The Friendly Games’ for there seemed to be smiles everywhere. The British Broadcasting Corporation provided the best coverage that anyone could produce. We have some great presenters who did their nation proud. While all this was going on we were still doing our own thing as you can see from previous blogs.

Since then we have been concentrating on more birding and photography. Both the Bittern and Bearded Tit had eluded us at Cley, Titchwell, and Lakenheath Fen. Yesterday we made a one and half hour journey through England’s beautiful rurality to go to Minsmere a marvellous RSPB site.

We had already spent hours looking for these elusive two species. Our luck soon changed. We met two friendly birders and when they entered our hide the Bittern flew. After twelve sightings we were on a high and the shots Michelle took ensured that we can see this great bird on a screen. The Bearded Tit was much more difficult with only a brief sighting as one dived back into the reeds. There is always tomorrow.  We were a little late for adult Hobbies but a juvenile one flew down a dyke while we were waiting for a Bittern to fly again.      

TRAINS, TRAINS AND RAILWAYS

It all started at the beginning of our holiday with Neal and Robbie and real ale and brass at the Bluebell Railway.  We are now on our third railway or forth if you include a disused railway track that we walked down.

Number two on the railway journey through England was the North Yorks Moors railway which starts in Pickering and makes it way north towards Whitby.  It was great we were with Rachel, Claudio and the boys and visited the station that was used for Hogsmeade in Harry Potter - very exciting!

Our third railway was a disused line between Robin Hoods Bay to Whitby.  A nice 8.5 mile walk along a cinder track with good views of the sea and we saw hares, butterflies and a poor rabbit with mycimatosis (that is definitely spelt wrong!)

Our most recent trip was today when we travelled on the North Norfolk Railway from Holt to Sherringham to see Gill, Ken and Roxy Dog.  It was a short trip but a fantastic one.  At Holt station we brought our tickets one adult and one old person ticket.  They were proper old fashioned card tickets.  The engine was a gleaming black one and you could see the coal store.  It looked like something out of the Railway Children!  The route is along the coast and you can see windmills out at sea and the old ones on the coast.

Shiny Engine with driver, coal man and coal!

Windmills old and new

View from the train.

After a fantastic day with Gill and Ken we arrived at Holt and made our way home via The Three Swallows, the pub down the road, to watch the Olympics and look for the Barn Owl that flies accross the field in front of where we are staying.  No Barn Owl this evening but a gorgeous sunset.



HALF WAY THROUGH

Today marks the half way trip of our tour round England.  We are staying on the north Norflolk coast.  It is gorgeous and the weather is too!!  John is in his element birdwatching everyday.  He has put all the details on his other blog for those of you who want to know the details the address is http://johnedwards-je.blogspot.com

Tomorrow we have a day off from birdwatching.  We are going to see Kenny and Gill who used to live round the corner from us in Spain.  We are traveling from Holt to Sherringham on the North Norfolk Railway, (the Poppy Line).

We have ten more days in Norfolk and then we head inland to Rutland and then Leicestershire for the party of the year!! Sammi, my neice is 18!  I feel very old!!! 

WEATHER UPDATE

Just wanted to let you know that the weather has been good in sunny blighty!  We have only had to wear our waterproof trousers once!!! Off out tomorrow for a run and then birdwatching!  Looking at the forecast may need the waterproofs tomorrow afternoon.  More on the writing festival coming soon.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

The end of our fifth week saw us leaving Boggle Hole on the North Yorkshire coast, heading for Cley in Norfolk via Blacktoft Sands just a few miles east of Goole and south of the Humber. This is an important reserve run by RSPB. It’s a great place to sit and watch and give yourself a surprise or two.

The Tree Sparrow has made wonderful recoveries where the habitat has been restored for them to feed, nest and breed and here at Blacktoft is one of the locations where they exist in good numbers.  

We also saw Black-tailed Godwits, Coot, Dunlin, Green Sandpipers, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Little Ringed Plover, Mallard, Moorhen, Pheasant, Redshank and Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Snipe, and Teal.

While we were watching the water birds two adult and two juvenile Marsh Harriers put on an ariel display for us which also included a parent dropping a meal for the youngster to catch. One of the young ones perched on top of a bush where we could see the immature plumage and compare it with an adult.  

Patience paid off when a Water Rail emerged from the reeds and showed itself. This was not a first for us but they are always difficult to see. The other elusive one is the Bittern which is what we hope to see in Norfolk.

Blacktoft is a great place to go to, it is well organised, the hides are very good and the birds are on show. You should give it a visit and we would love to go back as there is so much to see. We did manage to see both Sedge and Reed Warbler with a male Blackcap showing.

Tomorrow it is going to be Cley Marshes just outside our door!

UPDATE

Well it has been a while since we last posted on our blog due to a non existent internet connection. Now we can get online – hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since we last wrote we have been to the Theakston Crime Writing Festival and also spent a week with Rachel, Claudio and the boys.

I have been looking forward to the Crime Writing Festival since we decided to attend over a year ago. Most of you know that I love my books and am a little obsessed. The line up at the festival promised to be brilliant. There were authors that I had heard of and liked and plenty of authors that were new to me. I had brought with me a selection of books from my favourite authors to get signed. I had also brought some new ones when I was with Neal and Robbie in Hove and also some second hand books at the best second had book shop that I have ever been in, Barter Books in Alnwick.

We were staying at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate and all the events take place in the hotel so we were on site. I will start at the beginning. We drove into the car park with flags waving and an outline of a dead body in the car park marked with tape. There were people sat outside in the sunshine drinking and relaxing. I rushed John to park and to hurry into the hotel. On the left as we walked through the revolving brass handled doors was Festival reception we collected our tickets and goody bags. The bags contained free(ish) books and a bottle of Theakston Old Peculiar each. We checked in and went upstairs to the first floor and walked down tired and water damaged corridors to our room, 138. Fortunately the room was lovely and we had view of a roof!!

After unloading the car we had a beer and I went straight to the book shop. I cannot describe the shop it was a dream shop full of every crime book I could ever want and then some. I had to leave and go back in later as it was quite overwhelming.

John persuaded me that we did need to leave the hotel to eat so a quick shower and change and we walked down the hill to a pub which served real ale (of course) . We had a quick bite to eat and returned to the hotel, I didn´t want to miss anything that was going on. I brought my first batch of books and then went to the opening event which was the prize giving. Mark Billingham opened the event and then ´Simon Theakston spoke. Each of the short-listed six authors were interviewed by Mark Lawson. John Connolly got the biggest cheer! The award went to Denise Mina (I had never heard of her!) for her book The End of The Wasp Season. She was great and so surprised. Colin Dexter also received a life time achievement award and although he is no longer a spring chicken he was witty and it was an honour to see him collect his award. We collected our free(ish) drinks, Crime of Passion, made especially for the weekend, it looked like beer and ribena! We then went author spotting. I was exhausted. We went to bed and set the alarm for 6.30am.