It could have been a lot worse - it was certainly a decent storm on Monday - lost power around 11pm and went through Christmas Eve without it. Rhys Dee and their children, were coming from London to stay but told them to hold off until power was restored, as all utilities here (Light,cooking, heat etc) rely on electricity - I managed to cook the ham on the barbecue and we were giving up hope of the power returning when at 9pm on Christmas Eve it was back on - What a relief ! and consider ourselves lucky as there was little visible damage at home and no flooding... so as a result we had an excellent Christmas despite the weather.
Looking back on 2013 - it's not been a particularly birdy year for me mainly because of work intensity and a lack of time off, I've hardly ventured out of Sussex and my only trip abroad to Zimbabwe was mainly family rather than birding. So 2014 will be different ! - Starting with South Africa at New Year, I've decided to set a target to try and see 1,500 species in the year (It's subject to the usual caveats being health, family, time and other commitments) but may as well start with a number and see how it goes.
There's not been a lot to report of bird interest at home, although on the 22nd a
Lesser Redpoll flock of around 30 birds was moving between the Alders and a small birch, and contained a very
Mealy Redpoll looking bird. Although the flock was very flighty, so I didn't get clinching views and since then the weather has been so poor I haven't seen the flock since.
Roll on 2014 !
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| Lesser Redpoll in Birch Tree |
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| Lesser Redpoll, one of a 30 strong flock |
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| Before the storm |
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| Lacking any festive colours - Jackdaws have been abundant in the garden |
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| This Stock Dove has already chosen a nesting site in the Oak outside the kitchen |
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| The boundary fence to the first field is one of the first things that needs fixing in 2014 |
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