Talk talk.

I am so pleased that's over.

After spending about half an hour each evening, or more, after work all month processing images and working out slides, searching the net for pics I didnt have etc  I finally did my talk at our village hall on Saturday. It was an event to raise funds to pay for a new water boiler in the hall, so tickets were sold that included food and yours truly speaking. 60 people attended, filling the hall nicely where we were pleased to raise £370, after expenses, to our cause.

My talks usually last for 40 mins or so, but this one was supposed to be for an hour. As it happened, I was a bit over enthusiastic, and talked for an hour and a half! Luckily all the feed back afterwards was positive with everyone saying how much they enjoyed it all. My talks are quite light weight with a bit of humour added. There's nothing worse than sitting through a dry, slow topic in a darkened room. At least on Saturday no one fell asleep.

The talk was about those who watch birds rather than the birds themselves with explanations of exactly what we get up to. My good friend JWR was kind enough to allow me to make a good few jokes at his expense, because I have more 'birder photos' of him than anyone else, so cheers John!

Now, I only have to do an illustration for the cover of Birds in Northumberland 2018, and time should be my own again...

Not doing the predictable...

 A long weekend this week to try and finish up the decorating business, but before that, as it was JWR's birthday, we had a full day out birding.

Whilst others did the twitching thing down at Teesside where the Isabelline Wheatear put on a show, despite looking a bit sickly in some photos, we headed up on to the moors to look for raptors.

Red Grouse

It was a lovely early winters day and despite being typically quiet on the raptor front we enjoyed the wilderness experience. Up at the Harthope Valley, the only Buzzards seen were local birds, but there were loads of Redpolls and Siskins, 6+ Crossbills and 10+ Red Grouse. At another moorland site, the hunt and its band of merry men ensured that the whole area for miles around was largely devoid of any wildlife other than a scattering of Fieldfares and a flock of 20 ish Yellowhammers.

JWR 

A late Pale Pinion in the moth trap the other day.

 Today was spent painting windows and skirtings. What a task!

I managed to get out for an hour with Bunty this morning and for a shorter time this afternoon. The female Stonechat sporting an albino throat patch showed well along the roadside. This bird has been around for the thick end of 6 weeks now.

Stonechat female with a hint of albinism...

Down the long walk a few good patch birds were seen - a pair of Gadwall and a female Shoveler on the pond, not annual here, 17 Whooper Swans and masses of Pinkfeet flew S and a Red Squirrel was chewing on some acorns for breakfast.

If that wheatear had been up at Musselburgh for example I might have gone, but down there to the smoke...no thanks, not this time, maybe I'm starting to get away from twitching rarities?