two days ago, in defiance of the snow and people who thought I might be insane and risking my health, I took off down the Kingsway on Hove Seafront as bitty gritty white stuff fell on my head, and a fierce wind blew in off the sea.
My monkish grey top and hood were blown every which way. Luckily, there wasn't much to see!
I had always had the foolish notion that all of Sussex is pretty, elegant, expensive resorts, piers reaching out into the sea like a Dowagers fingers and nice cafes and restaurants stuffed with nicey nicey patrons eating tea and cake.
Not so. The moment you cross the border from Hove into Portslade, at the end of that peculiar harbour that runs from the lagoons parallel to the seafront, you go into frankly a bit of a rough place. The pavements suddenly go cracked, the road a little narrower and more threatening, the sea disappears behind rows iof grey terrace houses with signs advertising motor repair pasted on the end, and stripey tracksuits and gold chains start sppearing out of pub doorways. The flecks of snow even looked grey.
It didn't take me long to turn round; for my patronising self to run shamefully back the way I came, back into posh Hove where the homeless people shiver in tents upon the pitch and put.
They weren't the only thing shivering. As I passed the end of the tennis courts in the dark, a small bird was startled off the ground. I could barely see it, but every time it flew off a few feet when I approached, it seemed to have wader shaped wings, black on the leading edge, the back edge half white. It was no bigger than a small thrush, although seemingly chubbier built. No idea what it was, it was far too dark to see anything clearly apart from the wings.
It made a change though, so used to seeing only gulls on the seafront.
Showing posts with label urband birding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urband birding. Show all posts
Monday, 6 February 2012
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Working for you night and day!
Just rounding up a couple of days of observations!
Couple of nights ago, on a freezing freezing night, did a bit of "post-pub astronomy" with my 10x50s, half moon just about setting, but I think I bit of high altitude haze about. Managed to see M44 Beehive ok, but couldn't get Messier 67 a little further South. My eyes didn't want to work properly! Had a look for Leo and Virgo galaxies, slowly sweeping the skies, but no chance. Had a look for Messier 51 Whirlpool Galaxy in Ursa Major as I had read it can be an easy Binocular object, but no definite sighting. After a few minutes your eyes start to play tricks with you, especially when using averted vision. After a pint.
By this point, my hands were so purple with cold they were all but glowing in the darkness as if black-lit, so I headed inside to bed for a read, a DVD and some fortifying toast with a shot of rum.
I do love my rum. They should sell it with telescopes in winter.
Yesterday, before I went running I had the pleasure of having a really good long look at a Blackcap Warbler in my Holly Tree. Easy as pie from my living room window! THe poor bird, which at a cursory glance resembles a female house sparrow, although perhaps a lighter softer, cleaner grey with a head dipped in a black inkwell, sat shivering on a branch for a good 5 minutes, body fluffed out to reduce it's surface area relative to volume and preserve heat.
It was singing a little, and seemed to perk up after a few minutes rest before heading off. I bet the daft sod was wishing it was a Wood Warbler in Africa...
I note my garden area is not being visited by flocks of Long Tailed Tits at the moment.
Anyway my run was a 8 mile affair past the two lakes - Another Black Headed Gull wearing his Black Head too early on the larger Balderton Lake! I do wonder about this bird, I wonder if it is the same one I saw before.
The mystery bird that didn't seem exactly to be a Great Crested Grebe I reported a couple of days ago wasn't there on London Road lake.
Ran along a frozen, yet still bloody muddy Clay Lane, spotting chaffinches, wrens, great tits and similar in the hedgerows. And a Robin, which I haven't seen as many of in my garden area this winter.
Most interesting sight, apart from the folks doing a spot of rabbitting on Beacon Hill with a whippet and some terrier or other, was three Herons flying high near the castle, in a triangular formation. Slow wing beats, ruling the skies, and curiously reminding me of WW2 German Heinkel 111 bombers.
Couple of nights ago, on a freezing freezing night, did a bit of "post-pub astronomy" with my 10x50s, half moon just about setting, but I think I bit of high altitude haze about. Managed to see M44 Beehive ok, but couldn't get Messier 67 a little further South. My eyes didn't want to work properly! Had a look for Leo and Virgo galaxies, slowly sweeping the skies, but no chance. Had a look for Messier 51 Whirlpool Galaxy in Ursa Major as I had read it can be an easy Binocular object, but no definite sighting. After a few minutes your eyes start to play tricks with you, especially when using averted vision. After a pint.
By this point, my hands were so purple with cold they were all but glowing in the darkness as if black-lit, so I headed inside to bed for a read, a DVD and some fortifying toast with a shot of rum.
I do love my rum. They should sell it with telescopes in winter.
Yesterday, before I went running I had the pleasure of having a really good long look at a Blackcap Warbler in my Holly Tree. Easy as pie from my living room window! THe poor bird, which at a cursory glance resembles a female house sparrow, although perhaps a lighter softer, cleaner grey with a head dipped in a black inkwell, sat shivering on a branch for a good 5 minutes, body fluffed out to reduce it's surface area relative to volume and preserve heat.
It was singing a little, and seemed to perk up after a few minutes rest before heading off. I bet the daft sod was wishing it was a Wood Warbler in Africa...
I note my garden area is not being visited by flocks of Long Tailed Tits at the moment.
Anyway my run was a 8 mile affair past the two lakes - Another Black Headed Gull wearing his Black Head too early on the larger Balderton Lake! I do wonder about this bird, I wonder if it is the same one I saw before.
The mystery bird that didn't seem exactly to be a Great Crested Grebe I reported a couple of days ago wasn't there on London Road lake.
Ran along a frozen, yet still bloody muddy Clay Lane, spotting chaffinches, wrens, great tits and similar in the hedgerows. And a Robin, which I haven't seen as many of in my garden area this winter.
Most interesting sight, apart from the folks doing a spot of rabbitting on Beacon Hill with a whippet and some terrier or other, was three Herons flying high near the castle, in a triangular formation. Slow wing beats, ruling the skies, and curiously reminding me of WW2 German Heinkel 111 bombers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)