learn, laugh, live
Nine intrepid souls set out from Sandbach on a clear, fine but cold morning, our second attempt to visit Pilling. Traffic conditions delayed our arrival, and the tide had already peaked by the time we got there. Nevertheless birds were numerous, with Lapwing and Curlew quickly into the notebook. Pink-footed Geese were everywhere, mainly in …
The Sandbach U3A Birdwatching programme for 2010/2011 began at Blithfield Reservoir between Uttoxeter and Rugeley on Wednesday 15th. A strong westerly blew us to our destination, and triggered a scrabble through rucksacks and car boots for extra clothing. Blowy autumn had arrived! Ten members met at the western end of the causeway across the reservoir, …
The last meeting of the season took place at Lake Vyrnwy on the 19th May. Seven of us gathered in Sandbach, with two more joining at Mile End services at Oswestry. The journey took longer than expected, and we didn’t make it to Vyrnwy until after 1100. Parking in the visitor centre car park, first …
Just two cars and seven birdwatchers left Sandbach for the principal UK breeding site for the rare Black-necked Grebe at Woolston Eyes. Often seen from the winter coastline in eclipse plumage, the opportunity to see them in their breeding finery was not one to pass up at a relatively local site. Woolston Eyes is on …
Continue reading “Eyeing Up Woolston’s Grebes – 21 Apr 2010”
The final ‘phone calls had been made, weather checked, optics polished, bags packed and suddenly the long-awaited Wild Goose Chase was upon us. Eight intrepid birdwatchers crammed themselves, baggage and birdwatching gear into two cars, abandoned ourselves to the M6 rollercoaster and headed for the Scots border. The news of a pair of Smew near …
Continue reading “CATCHING THE WILD GEESE – 19 – 23 Mar 2010”
The 17th February saw us braving the cold once more to head into Wales and the Deeside reserve of Connah’s Quay. But before the reserve itself, the convoy from Sandbach stopped on a frosty roadside in Shotton, to decipher through the mist both Whooper and Bewick’s Swans, as a number of both species fed in a mixed …
A Mere 35 Species….. …..kicked off 2010. For the meeting at Mere Sands, 7 of us arrived thinking the weather reasonable for the time of year. However, walking around woodland under the canopy of branches, coupled with lakes still mostly frozen, soon cooled our ardour, and the cold set in. Mere Sands is a Wildlife …
On a cold damp December Wednesday morning we met in Salt Lane to see whether Santa was going to bring us a present in the form some decent sightings on what, for most of us, could be counted our home ground. We started off at the little watchpoint recently fenced and provided with a gravel …
Well it was supposed to be Pilling, up at the southern end of Morecambe Bay. But forecast Force 7 gales and heavy rain up there put paid to that. And as Pilling has no facilities, it seemed necessary to shift our day’s bird watching to somewhere that at least had a hide. A hurried ‘phone …
“The day we went to Bangor”. Or at least The Spinnies, a North Wales Wildlife Trust reserve which is close by. It was dull, overcast and threatening rain as we gathered in Sandbach. But by the time we passed Llandudno, blue skies and sunshine greeted us. Ten of us met at our first stop, Llanfairfechan. …
Continue reading “DIDN’T WE HAVE A LUVVERLEY TIME… – 21 Oct 2009”