Finnish was the start of my birding
These two words in close proximity have rendered me decidedly queasy, Josh.
I arrived at the Beach car park at Salthouse to be informed of a Black-headed Gull ringed in Finland. Julian B had skilfully and photographically circumnavigated it, managing to capture all the numbers, etc. We will learn where it was ‘handled’ in due course.
Wells Woods was quite lively, with the number of
Lesser Redpolls having increased to around 30. There were at least
6 Bullfinches, more
Treecreepers than yesterday, the female
Blackcap and a
Chiffchaff. Lunch was had east of the Quay, with this nice Grey Plover in attendance.
Back to Salthouse, and a
Short-eared Owl tantalised, by perching on a post long enough not to be photographed- and then hastened away. I was informed that one of the Turnstones in the flock feeding in the car park had a Swedish ring.
I hope that more birds originating in Scandinavia can put in an appearance (preferably on someone’s berries); although, of course, most of these seem to have been devoured.
Then, the
Shorelark appeared on the pager, as did birders who’d recently seen it, with accurate directions. It was indeed by the second pool (rather larger than a puddle) of standing water, on the track at the base of the shingle ridge, 200 yards east of Gramboro’. The light was rapidly failing and the rain had started.
Real Chinese food, dreadful in all parts of China I visited
Having worked next to London’s Chinatown for three years, lunching there most days, I’ve visited China only four times; Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia once. I found Chinese food to be completely satisfying, and often and happily different from that on offer here. With, for example, thirty kinds of celery in the markets, there is constant variety- even on my limited diet. If you were to offer me the choice of any cuisine in the world, however, I would go for Vietnamese. Italian and Thai would be joint second.
As for Chinese buffets, I have found P. F. Chang’s restaurants in the US of A to be consistently excellent.
With yet another County bird info-site being organised, close on the interweb heels of that of the long-standing Cley Bird Club, it may well be that people who post on it will be NOGGIN’ the NOG !
No further comment.
