Two days out

Today I report on two days out, aren’t you lucky lot then ;-)))  OK then, last Sunday Jan and I eventually managed to get down to Rainham Marshes.  It was really nice day but we were rather disappointed in the small number of birds that were about.  The count for the day I suppose was around 30 species but we did get two year ticks, reed and willow warbler.  Now there’s a point ...

Some time ago I had ended up at Titchwell in Norfolk and as I rode back to the car I was really bursting for a wee.  Anyway, when I feel the need to go it usually means not now but ten minutes ago.  I managed to get there in time but as I was on the way I heard a chiffchaff calling in the trees around me.  Of course I didn’t have to time to stop and look for it and when I came out there was sign of it.  Now I know that some birders count birds they have heard but haven’t seen.  I don’t, for me it seems to be a bit of a cheat.  So let’s go back to Rainham then.

There we were both of us riding out scooter around the site (very good for scooter and wheelchair users by the way, nice flat paths and board walks), when we heard the strangest bird sound we had ever heard.  Jan looked for it but couldn’t find it.  We got into a nearby hide and we heard it again.  No bird though, it was marsh frog!  See what I mean about going on bird song for your list?

After Rainham the idea was to go off to see and photograph the Thames Barrier and then a look around the Isle of Dogs for the monk parakeet that is supposed be growing in numbers around there.  Instead we decided that enough was enough and we head back home via the M11 and A14 instead of fighting the M25 and M1.  We still had a good day though.

On Tuesday we went off again, this time to Hay-on-Wye.  Somehow, and don’t ask me how I totally missed not only the M42/M40 junction but also the M42/M5 junction too.  That actually had me quite worried for a time because I am normally very aware of where I am and how I got there.  It’s something I shall be keeping an eye on because it could cause problems if it happens too often.  In any event we ended up going a different route to Hay. 

 

We took the M50 as far as Ross-on-Wye and then A49 and finally the B4348 along what is called the Golden Valley.  Well, it wasn’t golden at all but by heck it was beautiful the whole way through to Hay.   

I have already said that I like to snap pub signs as I go along and I’ve added a goodly number to the collection that day, a number of them in the Golden Valley.  We stopped for a pint at the Harewood End Inn and it was very nice too.   If you’re ever in the area, call and have a drink, very nice indeed.  The friendly helpful staff make the all the difference.

The Harewood End Inn bar and the pint of Rev James.

Hay was good as it usual is and I found three paperbacks by Ian Irvine that I had been looking for some time.  A few weeks ago I found a copy of Analogue in a newsagent in Dorktown, a bi-monthly sci-fi magazine that I didn’t know was still being published, so I bought it.  So while I was in Hay I took the opportunity to look to see if there was any of the older editions available.  I found loads of them, mostly from the 60s and 70s and bought just two of them, Venture Science Fiction from 1965.  I shall be keeping an eye out for more though on my travels. 

 

Lunch in Hay was in a cafe called the Sandwich Cellar.  It’s down a small pathway opposite the main town car park and it leads down to the town centre one way and to the castle off to the right.  Lunch was really nice mug of tea and cracking cheese and ham toastie, and all at a very reasonable price too.

This was taken while we had lunch.  It's looking back towards the car park which is only about 200 yards off.  And just look at the view form the top of it ...

Hay Castle.

Leaving Hay we headed out towards Brecon but changed our minds and went back a different way.  A couple of miles outside Hay is a pub called the Holy Bush and they have a camp site at rear of it.  I stayed there for several days in 1998 and had a great time.  We stopped there on Tuesday because we were hoping to get down by the river to get some photos but the very step steps and shaky hand rail put us off.  As left however, look what we found ...

Sadly he wasn’t flashing that gorgeous tail of his, ah well.         

We travelled back via the A479 and A 40 before joining the M5 to get home.  Again we had good run home but stopped for a rest and something to eat at a pub on the A40 called the, The Kings head.  There I had a pint of Doom Bar which was excellent and a tuna and mayo butty which was also very nice.  Again, friendly helpful staff made a big difference.  There was a little girl in there called Charlie, what a darlin’ she was.  She helped herself to a pint of coke, a packet of crisps and was heading for the larger pump when her Mum found her and took her off to bed.  I was told that as a special offer I got a free Charlie with my tuna butty but I decided to pass on it as she was a tad too big to fit in our oven.

A pint of Doom Bar, very nice and rich and creamy.

Bird-wise we got 16 I think it was, Jan was keeping the list so I’m not sure on that.  Whatever, we had another good day and arrived home safely and nicely tired out ready for an early night. 

Tomorrow we’re off the Brum for a few days so hopefully I shall be getting lost of new photos to add to my flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/15764683@N00/page3/    Why not have a look, there’s not many on there, only 3500 odd.  Some groups I post have user with more images on there than that!