Galana's Fifth - The only way from here is UP!

[Soukous]

8 minutes ago, Galana said:

I hope not to have to change the thread title to "Birds from my window."

 

I also hope not, although I have made sure my windows are a bit cleaner 

[Galana]

2 minutes ago, Soukous said:

I have made sure my windows are a bit cleaner 

I open mine. To hell with the heating bill when there are birds to see.

[Soukous]

59 minutes ago, Galana said:

I open mine. To hell with the heating bill when there are birds to see.

 

Unfortunately our windows do not open the right way. I know it sounds daft but none of them open in such a way that I can point a camera at where the birds are.   Something to do with security. 

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

 

Unfortunately our windows do not open the right way. I know it sounds daft but none of them open in such a way that I can point a camera at where the birds are.   Something to do with security. 

Bane of my life out of my bathroom window hide too!!

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Soukous said:

Something to do with security. 

Ask the Warden if you can have the bars removed.

[Kitsafari]

@Galana forging nicely ahead... 

 

 

[Soukous]

15 hours ago, Galana said:

Ask the Warden if you can have the bars removed.

she said NO!

[Soukous]

2 minutes ago, Soukous said:

she said NO!

she won't extend visiting hours either 

[Galana]

Are you sure you are allowed to have a camera inside?

In dire emergency I have found using the facility to adjust the angle of the rear screen can look round corners.

[Galana]

Through the open rear window. The present calm weather helps.

 

021. Eurasian Starling. Galana Towers. Ramsey.

No idea what the female on the left is saying.

 

[Galana]

As promised on @Dave Williams's thread I went and photoed the Information board on our adjacent reserve but the Information was as sparse as the grass.

However it gives a good key to where I live and my local area so you may as well see it.

Nice clear morning, Sod's law when we are in lockdown, but I inadvertently caught the Scottish coast on the horizon.

High Tide and not a feather in sight too.

[Galana]

Well I from my Lounge window I could see some Redshank in the drained Mooragh Lake so despite the distance I had to do it.

The 'Lake' is actually the old estuarial loop of the Sulby river as it meets the sea. Dammed  in 1881 and developed into a pleasure lake it is still drained each January for cleaning and the retrieval of the various kind deposits donated by kind Tourons during the summer. It forms a nice piece of brackish mud for the local birds.

More follows.

 

[Galana]

The sun was shining so there was nothing for it. You deserved better photos and I AM allowed to exercise close to home.

Outside temp just nudging 37C but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Overcoat, flat 'at and outdoor shoes and off I went for #22.

22. Redshank. Mooragh Lake, Ramsey. You can have the Oystercatchers for free. I think the old car tyre really enhances the shot.

 

Well I may as well continue my exercise round the lake.

Nothing else around apart from Hoodie Crows, above mentioned Sea Pies and BH Gulls so I left the park by the outfall/dam and crossed the road to inspect the old west river and was just turning away when a white bird flew in. Gotcha @23.

23. Little Egret. Old river.

Then it lifted and flew over into the Lake so I followed.

Now on my Lounge list or would have been if I had stayed in.

So I continued my exercise. They say it is good for one.

Might as well add these while I am at it.

24. House Sparrows. Old River Road, Ramsey.

 

In the harbour were  few Mute Swans so they went in the bag too.

25. Mute Swans. Ramsey Outer Harbour.

 

And whilst there I did the first of the years product improvements.

006. Greater Black-backed Gull. Ramsey Harbour.

 

Now turning for home as the light is going so I came home via the Promenade and picked up a couple more ticks.

The Black Redstart of last year seems to have fled but his place taken by some Wagtails.

Female or Juvenile does not have the full black back of our 'yarellii' sub species.

But the male does and that's why I use the name I have known this bird by all my life .

26. Pied Wagtail. Ramsey Promenade. And note well. Should I make it to Europe later this year and see it's paler cousin I will bloomin well tick that as "White Wagtail".

Nearly done. Whilst pursuing the fast trotting Wagtails down the harbour I es pied ()another tick on offer.

 

27. Grey Heron. Mooragh Beach, Ramsey.

Then back home. Distance covered. Maybe a mile. So six ticks per mile is a good result.

 

 

 

 

[Dave Williams]

Well done, a worthwhile walk!

[PeterHG]

2 hours ago, Galana said:

26. Pied Wagtail. Ramsey Promenade. And note well. Should I make it to Europe later this year and see it's paler cousin I will bloomin well tick that as "White Wagtail".

And I would do the same for the Pied Wagtail should I come over to your side!

[shazdwn]

12 hours ago, Galana said:

 

 So six ticks per mile is a good result.

 

It certainly is.  Great second egret shot

[elefromoz]

A very nice walk indeed, didn't even notice the tyre til you pointed it out.

[Peter Connan]

A very worthwhile walk.

Interesting that the Grey Heron seems to be quite common in Europe at the moment, whereas here in my area it seems to have been almost completely replaced by the Black-headed. I seem to recall seeing far more Greys in my childhood, but then maybe I was confusing the two, as I don't think I was even aware of the Black-headed back then...

[Galana]

Well still in lockdown so as the Bard put it.."perchance to dream!"

Only let's not get TOO serious.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Galana

[Galana]

Still here in lockdown Mk 2 but the scene from my office window ain't all that bad. Just at dusk the Egret came for tea.

Four days without a case. Fingers crossed we are on course to be let out 1st February.

 

Something to look forward to. I have booked that cottage at Caerlaverock for November.

[Soukous]

16 hours ago, Galana said:

Fingers crossed we are on course to be let out 1st February.

 

I'm curious. Although your little island is doing well at beating Covid-19, the bigger island next door (well, both of them actually) is not.

For you to travel internationally don't you have to transit through the big island? In which case, if international travel is banned, can you still do it? and once you do travel, will the country you arrive in just consider you to have come from the UK and treat you accordingly?

 

Better luck with Caerlaverock this year. Should I pick upi your 2020 birthday pressie when I pass through in May, or leave it there for you in November?

 

 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Soukous said:

Should I pick upi your 2020 birthday pressie when I pass through in May, or leave it there for you in November?

How kind. Does this mean I will get another in November 2021?

 

As to your conundrum the answer is I do not know. The rules are a mess. IOM is in common Travel area with those other islands and whilst we ban visitors we are not banned by their Govs. Just discouraged along with their own citizens (which are obviously NOT enforced if the media are to be believed.) Drive 5miles to buy milk gets a fine but flying to Seychelles for a holiday or worse to Oz for a tennis match is OK.

All fall apart with EU . KLM ban fights to UK but not Dublin so you just fly AMS-DUB and change planes or catch the ferry. Lorry drivers get their Ham sarnie pinched in Rotterdam but the driver of the Eurostar can keep his Cheese and pickle butty.

My answer is at present I am going nowhere any time soon. I have not forgiven the Zambian Government for charging me $50 for a visa last December.

[Soukous]

3 minutes ago, Galana said:

Does this mean I will get another in November 2021?

That's why I asked. Now that you'll be there in Nov this year I could just ask them to hold it for you. Or you could collect it, or I could collect it and watch you drink it on Uist. 

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

Or you could collect it, or I could collect it and watch you drink it on Uist. 

Don't you just hate multi choice questions?

Option 5 would be if you called by in November and shared it. Or if we have finished it on Uist we could start one of mine?  My GP is always pleased when I tell her I always pack Malt for my trips. She recommends Holland & Barrett and looks puzzled when I mention I prefer Highland Park.

[Soukous]

20 hours ago, Galana said:

Option 5 would be if you called by in November and shared it

 

That will be Plan B.

Plan A is to try and make my trip to Southern India.