Early start this morning and another bright, warm one, but after yesterday I wasn't going to be underprepared so out in trousers and carrying a jumper. As yesterday, the clouds and northerly wind rolled in about 11 and the temperature dropped to about 3C.
Firstly, a walk to Jurata, some 4 miles away, birding through mostly conifer forests but with stands of birches. This is where most of the birds were, with only crossbills and chaffinches in the conifers. A pair of ravens overhead and plenty of mute swans, herons, cormorants and mallards on Puck Bay. Several goldcrest caught my eye but too fast for the camera, a trip tick. Also, just outside Jurata, a song thrush was singing, species number 68.
A coffee in the village, which is mainly tourist hotels and holiday shops before I wandered to the Baltic side. By now I was glad of the jumper and the wind was too much for my hat. Good numbers of regular warblers around the birches here.
Several gulls out to see but nothing on the water. Obviously too late for the grebes and divers that overwinter here in huge numbers. So, a walk back to my room to collect the rucksack and an afternoon bus to Wladyslawowo, where I found a good room for one night. By now it really was cold, locals and the many tourists walking around with gloves, hats and blankets wrapped round them. I added an extra layer but the wind still got through.
The Baltic here held large numbers of gulls, mostly herring but with some interesting other candidates. One in particular looked very caspiany whilst another, too far out looked ylg. No scope so unable to nail it. Tomorrow I dhall get to the beach early.
Back to town and a bar where they had added a marquee. As you entered they gave you a blanket!
A meal in a good restaurant and back to my room for the night.
Tomorrow, more Baltic watching and a wander to the shoreline of the Bay where some reedbeds and mudflats look interesting.
New bird species:
67. Goldcrest
68. Song Thrush
Photos show map of the area, an interesting sculpture where sandstone has been carved into the shape and scale of the 10 highest peaks, bitterly cold Baltic shore and a photo of a willow warbler, phone snap off the back of the camera.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone www.blackberry.com
A record of the wildlife in and around Hadham Ford as from January 2008. Please feel free to leave any comments or email me with details of interesting bird, mammal, butterfly, moth and dragonfly sightings. @jonoForgham on twitter
Friday, 2 May 2014
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This is me
Caley Wood view
A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
About Me
- Jono Forgham
- A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.
Grey heron
Southern Hawker
Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
common blue
Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
azure damselfly
marbled white
ruddy darter
honeysuckle 19.07.08
cinnabar moth caterpillar
Bittersweet
male yellowhammer
common blue butterfly
River Ash
Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
Caley Wood sunshine
Millenium Wood fox
common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
April showers
Caley Wood bluebells
Yellow Archangel
sunlight 16.04.08
snowy buds
Looking north west
Back Garden
Brick Kiln Hill
No play today
Teasel head
Reflections
Swollen River Ash
Daybreak over the chapel
Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
January snowdrops
Good Moon
Village Green
Looking south before Hadham Ford
Useful sites
The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/
Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/
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