Calendar 2024

 It's that time of year again where I put a Calendar together from the photos I've taken since last year's Calendar!! It started off a few years ago , with a few for family and friends, mainly because I'm to tight to buy proper presents!! 😂 But has now spiralled into Behemoth where last year I did over 70!!!   

This Year I've decided to do it in A3 size as it is much handier for writing stuff on!! The layout is the same as last year with large boxes to write in. The price will largely be dependent of numbers, but should be about £12, plus P&P which is usually about £2 dependent on where it's going to!! But I will deliver free of charge, locally to me, in Hurstpierpoint, though if I can combine it with a birding trip possibly a bit further away!! Any excess money raised will once again be donated to the Hurstpierpoint Hedgehogs, though I have no official connection to them, except they sometimes come in our garden!! Hedgehogs that is, not rescuers! They do an excellent job, last year we raised them 50 quid!! Though I made that up from the tenner profit 😂 

Their website at the link below!!

Hurst Hedgehog Rescue

I will be ordering around November the 25th so if you want one let me know in good time!!! The more I order the cheaper it gets!!

A preview of the pics below, I main change the Cory's pic to a different Cory's pic as I ain't sorted them all yet!!

The Cover has three photos. 

Red-backed Shrike, This is the one from Medmerry, just missed the cut off for last years Calendar!

Scopoli's Shearwater, not gonna be many Calendars on the market got one of these on the cover!

Dunnock from the sublime to the ridiculous, but there are a lot of these round here and they always cheer me up!

January

Cattle Egret, lots of these in Sussex now, liked this flight shot!

February

Red Kites from Wales, this is three different birds not some photoshop malarkey!

March

Pied Wagtail, despite my recent Wagtail woes, I like the back ground to this one, again what was there, not photoshop

April

Stonechat, bit industrial but I quite like it, I out voted Margie on this one!

May

Quite pleased, not to mention surprised to get such a reasonable shot of this bright little bird!!

June

Goldfinch, nice bright close up

July

Kingfisher, Not the brightest pic, but if I get a usable pic of a Kingy I have to put it in for sentimental reasons!

August

Yes I know he's on the cover (different pic) but such a cutie, gotta give him his own month, 

September

Cory's Shearwater, C'mon you didn't think I wasn't gonna put one of these awesome birds in did you, what a day!! 

October

Nuthatch, a very showy individual

November

Snow Bunting, another that missed last years cut!! Another very confiding chap!

December

Robin, It's traditional, unfortunately can't get a snowy one!!!

Cornwall Final Day

 Flushed with the success of yesterday's day trip to Scilly and confident that my luck had finally turned, despite near total exhaustion I decided to have a final crack at the pesky Wagtail, that had been tormenting me all week!! Margie decided on a lay-in so I was on my own as I arrived at Marazion Beach at first light!! 

Curlew in dawn's early light

So it began again, disappointingly a dog walker was walking right down the middle of the seaweed!! Birds scattering everywhere!! I scanned them as they returned, lots of Wagtails, a few Waders I got to "the Pallet" where the bird was often seen, a  Wagtail ran out from the wall, 2 strong wing-bars, eye stripe, boom!!! (Or was it!) Now this a lesson for all, half-arsed birders like myself, the danger of seeing what you want to see!!! I was convinced it was the Citrine, took loads of pics, which I didn't look at to the next day!!! However on examing the pics, the realization dawned it was another poxy Pied!! (don't mean that I like a Wagtail!!) 

Not a Citrine Wagtail 😢 I know my excuse is it was gloomy and I was looking through wishful thinking binoculars😂

White Wagtail

Not a Citrine

Also not a Citrine

Dunlins and a Sanderling

Sanderling

Peregrine shot along the beach!

Flushed with success, or so I thought, I relocated to the Marazion Marsh in the hope of a view of the Purple Heron which had successfully avoided me all week!! No sign, but was very pleasant, watching the Reedbed come to life as the sun rose. Good views of Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Wren and Sedge Warbler, among the Robin and Dunnocks!

Grey Heron

Little Egret

Stonechat

Wren

Sedge Warbler

Chiffchaff

Stonechat

Little Grebe

A very nice start to the day, if ultimately, destined to be a failure😂😢 I got back by 9am, we decided to head into Falmouth, however a Pectoral Sandpiper reported at Stithians Reservoir, suggested a diversion would be in order!! On arrival a Kingfisher flew in, which was a bonus, The Pec Sand appeared in the same pool that the Wood Sand had been in the other night, were several Snipe showing as well !!!

Stithians Reservoir (M)

Wader Country (M)

(M)

Kingfisher

Flyover Great Spotted Woodpecker

Snipe

Pectoral Sandpiper with Snipe in front 

It had a little fly around

Pec Sand

Little Grebe chick

Little Grebe

Grey Heron

Seems late to have such a small chick

Grey Wagtail

Pec Sand 

A successful twitch!! We headed into Falmouth, somehow ending up in Pendennis Castle!! Got to be said this holiday has been a bit Castle heavy for my liking!! Margie says 2 is not Castle heavy!! Though she is forgetting we only usually go to the car parks!!! 😂This one was quite interesting, going all the way back to the Tudors, right through to the Second World War, only bird of interest a Wheatear!! A few pics from Margie below!!

Thick old walls!

Ave you seen the size of my Cannon!!😱😲

Good views from here

I would have been no good looking  for Stukas, would have spent the whole time sea-watching

Margie's started taking pictures of Wheatears, she's coming over to the dark side!

Conditions for the troops, were pretty crap down the centuries!

Amazing how our ability to kill each other has evolved down the ages!!  Still at least the cafe had Gluten free cake which is always a bonus!! 

Very Tasty

Well that was about it, a quick look for the reported Rosy Starling at Long Downs, no sign on the wires despite intensive scanning from various vantage points, didn't see any Starlings let alone a Rosy!! Back to base for the final time, before heading home to Sussex on the Saturday, journey was uneventful, I was under-whelmed again as we passed Stonehenge and apart from a slight hold up on the M25 made it home in good time!! The End of a very enjoyable week!!