A short blog today. Weekend  has been busy. We have Sunday and Monday in Exeter mainly looking after our delightful granddaughter Ellen. She is a bundle of fun and good for the soul! More tomorrow!

I am being totally indulgent and adding some more pictures I took this morning of waxwings. Well there are only see  in the South West every few years or so. Clare and I went again to Rodborough this morning to see them (not on the bike today). I think the light was better! than yesterday. It was a quintessentially  British scene – people patiently and politely in groups waiting for the birds to come into view, Other people are walking their dogs wondering what everyone is looking at.

Off later to the Gloucestershire Seniors Cricket Dinner.

I found them! I had to cycle to Stroud and up to Rodborough Common. It was bitterly cold so I didn’t stay for too long! There are beautiful birds. Still hoping they might turn up in Frampton.  There were about 35 altogether. I think it is only the fourth time I’ve seen them in this country- also saw them in Finland.

Had a lovely Story Telling with the young people from Tuffley at Wick Court. 

Following an admin sort of day yesterday it was at Wick Court today. Yesterday was getting things like tax returns sorted and attending a  cricket meeting down at the County Ground in Bristol. Managed to get home to listen to the Mighty Hatters on the Wembley Trail just scrape home!

Had a bitterly cold day birding at Wick Court with young people from Tuffley (I am Story Telling with them tomorrow). We managed to see plenty of birds on the feeders – they were delighted when a buzzard glided by the hide!

On a cold day I pedalled down to WWT Slimbridge to meet an old school friend Peter. We had a super day moving between hides. Great flocks of golden plover, lapwings, swans and various species of geese were often filling the sky. One highlight was watching a merlin chasing a skylark. A few pictures below!

                            Curlew

                               male tufted duck

                                           common crane

                                      bewick swan

                                   two common cranes!

                                       wigeon

Clare and I braved the cold and cycled into Gloucester today to the bookshop. We both had book tokens to spend. We brought back a haul of treasures – a pile of books! So we have plenty to read!

I am off birding in the morning with an old school friend. We are going to Slimbridge so we will see swans and geese!

We have just had a great couple of days. Starting with Friday morning spent playing with our two young grandsons (they are 3 and nearly 11 months!) After leaving Bishop’s Cleeve we travelled North to Burnley. After dropping off stuff at hotel we went to the same cracking pub we visited last year. Plenty of good ales and Burnley fans and many Hatters mixed well.

Really pleased to see our the Mighty Hatters are progressing in all confidence in the Premier League. After an excellent first half it was disappointing to be trailing by one goal. The one thing about the Mighty Hatters they keep going and an injury time equaliser was well deserved! The picture below is the team taking the applause from the travelling supporters.

“Old Apple Tree, We wassail thee…………………………”

Last night was the Wassail at Wick Court and of course guess who was Master of Ceremonies? Once again in my own imitable style it was a fairly anarchic evening with the young people from Ravenstone School Balham. I kept it fairly short because the young people had been outside all day and it was cold! I am thinking of writing a song/verse that is Wick Court specific for next year that we teach our participants beforehand. I had done my usual bird watching with them during the day and the children were delightful and we saw 24 species.

It was a rush home after the Wassail to host my Book Club. We did something different last night and each one of us had to chose a photograph that either meant something special  or  had influenced us. It was certainly a wide ranging philosophical discussion with surprising choices by my friends.

I wanted a picture of Basil D’Oliveira ( the South African who played for England because of apartheid). As I have written previously I went as a boy to that iconic Test Match in 1968 when he scored a big hundred and then for political machinations was not selected for tour of South Africa– he later was recalled and the the rest is history. I think it my rude awakening to the world of politics! For many years until apartheid was ended I was very much at odds with the conservative (with a small c) cricketing establishment. I went on marches and boycotted anything South African and even changed my bank. The picture below is with one of the great figures of the 20th century Nelson Mandela – who hugged him and thanked him after they had dinner together said “Thank you Basil you have done your bit!” Throughout the political storm clouds D’Oliveira always maintained great dignity.  If you read a previous blog I went into the England dressing room at that fateful Oval Test Match and he said “Hello” to four grubby boys!

Tomorrow we head North for the vital relegation clash for the Mighty Hatters against Burnley. Fingers will be firmly crossed!

Well having worn shorts on my bike nearly all winter today was a shock to the system! The wind has had a real bite to it! had the delight of going to the tip (after collecting quince  leaves) and then clambering up the Bramley tree to get down the Christmas Lights. I even managed to make sure I didn’t get it tangled! Pedalling tomorrow to deliver some stuff so it will be balaclava and inner gloves!

Still underwhelmed by yesterday’s football wasn’t sure how VAR didn’t give us a penalty. We are off to Burnley on Friday- a real six pointer!

A few pictures from the weekend including an attempt at catching a curlew flying, a dunnock at Rosemoor, lapwings and dunlin on the mud.