A Cure For Flu

On Thursday night I found myself full of flu, Friday morning the same so when the wife went to babysit for the twins it was time to test a theory. Maybe by trying to get well we forget the healing properties of booze. Drink can do wonders for low self esteem so why not cure a viral infection, by drinking? I had taken all the drugs but the cold relief tablets contained caffeine so as a manic man I was buzzing. It was time to put my theory to the test. The flu could be drowned!!!! So off I went 8 bottles of spitfire and a few whiskies, in fact 3/4 of a bottle of Arbalour and I feel fine . If when I wake in the morning I still have the flu this "cure" is only worth trying if you like drink and are willing to experiment with new theories. But I feel sure that unless I puke, I am cured. More tomorrow.   

WET WET WET

2012 a wet year which saw Prestwick Carr and Big Waters flooded a lot of the time. The start of the year was good for wildfowl at BW with Bean and Barnacle geese, Whooper and Bewicks Swan. PC was home to lots of Short Eared Owl and a Great Grey Shrike, then it flooded and in came the waders. The highlights over 100 Black Tailed Godwits some Whimbrel and a fine Spotted Redshank. The crowds of photographers left with the owls and peace returned. A trip to Islay with AJJ was wet most days but as always on this gem of an island the birding was good. I hit lucky on my trip to the Farnes it was sunny and calm, the Puffins had it hard with flooded burrows. The fishing seemed good but drowned chicks can not eat.
A holiday in California was special and dry, the giant trees the highlight. I had a couple of days out with Howden blogger the highlight a good Chinese meal in Amble, I normally take bait but that man knows how to live. I also lived it up on Orkney at a folk festival in May, there was also good beer and birding. 

Mono Lake California

Autumn Invader

a rare visit by the PC Shrike north of BW

Islay

3 of a kind

The worlds most photographed bird

A BW regular 

Hartlepools  Black Redstart

Big Waters held lots last winter

The carrs stars

Whimbrel on PC 

my friend Cliff

I had a quiet autumn apart from the Waxwing invasion and winter was and is wet wet wet
All the best for the New year
Allan
PS pubs are dry inside when it rains so 2012 had its moments,

Red Kite alc 4.5% vol

Yesterday was spent at the home of Red Kite ruby ale, Wylam brewery. Originally called Northern Kite this brew was made to celebrate the first breeding of Kites in Northumberland for many years. The brewery tour was an outing from the Dyke Nuek and was as easy to organize as a piss up in a brewery. Many pint sized samples were downed with pleasure our generous hosts Mat and John kept us topped up all afternoon. I find I like all Wylam beers but some more than others but for a good session beer the bitter takes some beating.  

A big waters fly over mobbed by corvids

Hedgehog blog

 The poor little bugger below was out and about under the bird table on Friday morning looking for food. It must not be in good enough condition to hibernate and its den is just a hole under some leaves and bark mulch. I placed a bucket over the den to help keep it dry during the coming deluge and put down some Hedgehog food, hopefully this will help it to survive. A visit to the Little Owl site today also gave up a few Fieldfare and Redwing.

The Den

Swan Lake

Killingworth Lake was 75% frozen but still held a large flock of Mute swans, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, some Goldeneye, Pochard and a fine drake Goosander. Gulls roosted on the ice and a lot of Canada geese were on the almost totally frozen small lake, Moorhen and Greylag the supporting cast. On leaving the lake I headed to Morrisons car park to look for Waxwing but was not successful. 

xmas dinner ?

Scaup faced Tufted Duck

Groundhog blog

Another day another walk to Big Waters, lots of Wigeon, Mallard and Teal plus a couple of Gadwall and Goldeneye on the pond. The wintering flock of Greylag came in and a few Canada Geese. The feeding station held the usual suspects but Tree Sparrow numbers are down, they are all in my garden now, up to 30 at times. 2 Willow Tit also showed and 11 Moorhen, spotted Northumbrian Birder as well. Went on a walk with Alan and Ian seeing Kingfisher on the inlet stream to the pond and a tribe of Long Tailed Tits

Not strictly speaking

It is Sunday night and time for shite , X Factor and Strictly come dancing so here is a little blog. It gives me something to do as the wife has her mind numbed by mindless drivel , this time from a source that is not me. Friday saw me walk to Big Waters, it was very slippy under foot and the pond was part frozen. There were good numbers of Wigeon a few Gadwall and some Mallard resting on the ice. The Greylags came in about 130 in number and a few Canada also.  

a peachy little number

The shite is still on so i'm off to numb my mind with beer.

Bloggers secret life

With a fine victory over John Higgins last night will this local blogger come out as a snooker player or stick to birds and dragonflies ?

Warbler or not ?

Plastic Geese ticked

Start of the day at Hauxley where the shooters had plastic decoys out right next to the reserve, no wonder there was nothing on the pond! Next stop Duridge Bay Country park which held good numbers of Tufted Duck but little else.  Duridge pools were quiet but Stonechat  showed at the entrance. Cresswell had a few Red Breasted Merganser, 1 Common Scoter and Long Tailed Duck.

Plastic Geese

Is that a bean goose at the back

Plastic geese ?

Female Stonechat

Goldfinch

Red Breasted Merganser