Wednesday 11th February - Big Day

Big day today as we have bought a yacht!

I've been hanging my nose over a bigger boat ever since sailing with the offshore team and competing down at Cowes week, last year sailing in Greece with Sunsail and then my friend Sam in his Westerly Tiger just pushed me to look for one and this what we have decided on.

This is her on the hard standing at Maryport in Cumbria.

She is a Parker Javelin, 30 foot long with a fin keel, 5 foot draft and 15 horse power Yanmar diesel engine giving a cruising speed of 5 knots and maximum speed of 7 knots.

She has lovely lines and was designed as a racing cruising boat being quite beamy (9 foot).

Inside she is quite roomy for an old boat built in 1973 with a sea toilet in the fore-peak and plenty of storage then the main cabin that has two berths one either side of the mast and two further quarter berths either side in the rear.

lec and I spent the afternoon after agreeing the purchase stripping the interior out, by the time I'd put all the sails, ropes and seating in the van there was just about enough room left for me to drive it away.

This is Alec my co-partner in crime and future sailing partner in the main cabin after we had cleaned it out.

Tuesday 10th February

Photos are a bit out of sync as this was actually the view from the door of the camper van where I camped overnight on the edge of the marshes near Silloth in Cumbria, if it was clearer you would be able to see the Scottish coast in the distance.

I had gone up there to try and combine a bit of bird watching with viewing a boat that was for sale. I was up at 7:00 am to here the sound of geese flying in from the sea where they had been roosting overnight to graze on the marshes, unfortunately they were a bit too far off to get a good view but were beautiful to watch the skeins snaking across the sky as the sun tried to break through the mist.

Viv taking a moment at Netherfield Local Nature Reserve a small local area on the banks of the Trent, Radcliffe on Trent in the background.

A walk around the village

The pond over the back was one of the few not covered by ice today and as a result there were 135 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck and 1 Moorhen enjoying the open water as I walked past.

I was out looking for Siskins and Redpoll but unfortunately didn't see any but did see a pair of Tree Creepers, a couple of Jays, Goldcrests along with Bullfinches, Linnets and almost every present calling Common Buzzards overhead. I had a walk around the carp ponds now very overgrown.

When the kids were little there was a grass edge mown to bowling green perfection around this hollow. It used to be full of water and had a huge shoal of big carp in it as well, now there are just trees and a muddy hollow.

Paradise Hill is always a good spot for Buzzard watching as soar on the thermals, there is actually a Jay just right of centre of the picture and a pair of frisky grey squirrels off to the left. The tree tops were full of Jackdaws the odd Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chaffinches.

This Oak always looks impressive even in the depths of winter with no foliage, I thought I might try and capture it changing through the seasons if the memory doesn't go.

The woods are full of snowdrops at the moment just like a white carpet the main reason for taking the camera.

In the garden Monday 2nd February

Started work on a job I've not been looking forward to and that was digging out the old compost, turning over the newer stuff and rebuilding the compost walls, a right good mucky job. However, as soon as I started I was joined by a couple of friends looking for a free feast.

The first one arrived pretty much as soon as started digging and very quickly got used to me and started to dart in and around my feet picking up grubs and worms. A bit later it was joined by a second who was little more shy at first but as I carried on digging both of them started to sit right next to me. Then just as I was finishing a third one came over but had to keep a bit of a distance as the first two would chase it off if it came to close to me.

This little feller was a Short-tailed Field Vole that had been nesting in the bottom of the compost heap, a bit dopey probably because of the cold and the fact I had disturbed it, I let it go in the branches around the little pond.

Before I came in the girls were calling as they could hear me walking about the garden so I picked their favourite for them a bunch of grass.

They seem to be coping with living out all year, I moved the box out of the wind the other day.

Left to right Sophie (@ Hairy McCleary), Sonia and Susan with a mouth full of grass.

Morning Tea with Leah 30th January

Drove over to Hazelford to have morning tea with Leah this morning as a lovely sunny day for a visit to the river. The boat looking very nice in the sunlight although a bit of a muddy track to get down to it.

The river was flowing quite swiftly after the recent snow and melting. No sign of the Robin who comes into the boat given half a chance or the Moorhen but there was a lovely little Marsh Tit calling from a reed stem on the other side of the jetty.

As it was such a lovely day we walked up river towards the sailing lake to see if we could spot the Tawny Owl sunning itself in the hollow tree it often roosts in. We were in luck today and got a great view of it snuggled down in it's hole enjoying the winter sun, 105th species for the year!

Had to rush back a bit as I was picking up Viv after she had been swimming.

Thursday 26th January

We had quite a flurry of snow this morning, made the garden look really pretty for a while but most of it had melted by early afternoon.

I had moved the guinea pigs into a bit more shelter so they didn't get too snowed in, poor little things only have little legs and don't want to be wading in deep snow.

The snow did bring in a pair of Tree Sparrows to the feeders on the pear tree, first time they have visited the garden that we've seen for just over a year. If it stays cold we might just get a few other rarities with luck. It took the annual total to 104 species for the year to date.

Sailing at Brancaster January 2015

The only down side to sailing at Brancaster in the winter is the fact you have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch the tide but at least you get to see the Brent Geese and Pink-footed Geese flying in to feed having roosted out at sea for the night. The sky is just full of skeins of calling geese, quite a sight to see.

Fortunately I was sailing with Chris a friend from Norwich who had brought his boat a Wanderer down which meant Viv and I could leave our Wayfarer Mihangel behind this time. First time I have sailed a Wanderer, a bit like a slightly smaller and slower Wayfarer.

Saturday the wind was blowing a Force 4 with stronger gusts so we stayed inside the harbour but did get to have a play in the waves just inside the harbour mouth taking it in turns to helm across the waves and surf the boat.

Sunday the wind dropped to a steady Force 3 so we able to get out through the harbour entrance although quite a battle with the tide for a while and then beat up to Titchwell Creek along the coast. The sail back was down wind so quicker, warmer and drier and we again had a little play in the surf which had kicked up due to the fact the tide had turned by then and was running against the wind.

Chris relaxing and enjoying the view.

It was nice being back in Norfolk again although I had been there for a week bird watching only a week ago. I like to get away the beginning of the year to Norfolk and the Lakes to get the birding year off to a good start.

I had seen 58 different species around home including a Raven at the back of Farnsfield which was rather unusual. Norfolk gave me a chance to visit Cley Marshes where in addition to the usual waders I saw Marsh Harriers, Bearded Reedling and Snow Bunting.

At Stiffkey I saw my favourite bird a Male Hen Harriers plus female Hen Harrier, Sparrow Hawk and Barn Owl.

Before I came back I had a first visit to Burnham Overy Staithe where I spotted Pink-footed goose, White Fronted goose, Common and Rough Legged Buzzard, Red Kite, Red-necked Grebe, Common Scoter out on the sea and my second favourite bird a Short-eared Owl. At one point the Short-eared owl came right up close then circled off with a Red Kite just hunting over the marsh.

All in all quite a good week seeing 87 different species and taking the total for the year to 100 by the middle of January.

Writing this up this morning the weather outside not great, windy, cold and frequent squally showers of sleet and rain. However, we did have a pair of Tree Sparrows on the feeders in the garden, first time they have visited this year, we didn't see them at all in the garden last year.