But this is my sign of Christmas coming.....
Sloe Gin......!
Not quite time to pick them for another few weeks...but getting there....of course if you are a deadly serious Sloe Gin-ner then you will have your favoured spot away from prying eyes.
The old way was to wait for the first frost....but most people dont of course as they use the freezer to perform this little task. Im fairly sure this is more peoples impatience to be honest rather than them thinking that some person will come along and steal 'their' berries....though some people are odd....(this may include birders according to some!)....
If you have never made Sloe Gin it is really very easy...and it tastes amazing....I will post the recipe I follow.....soon....
Having said that....its still Autumn and I noticed that the Elder berries have turned a purple-black that tells me to pick-pick-pick....wine time....!! And if you have never made wine, of any variety, it really is very easy....if I can do it anyone can do it....
0700 - 0900 SE F1-2 gusting 3-4, initially sunny but clouding over
No Willow Warblers a couple of days back but today I found 4...bright yellow lemon drop birds (likely juveniles being so bright yellow)....lovely. Another easy spot Lesser Whitethroat was nice to see as was another Kingfisher. The Shoveler community has doubled from 2 to 4. 2 Gadwall also appeared.
There were plenty of Greylag Geese sitting up on top north field but no definitve count could be made from distance. Some flew down to the pits but I will go with at least 100 but probably many many more according to the count a couple of days ago.
I suppose the 'highlight'...if you will....was the 137 Canada Geese that have appeared within the last 24-36 hours.
What else was around....
Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
16 Black Headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 137 Coot, 14 Swan, 10 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Moorhen, 13 Mallard, 35 Tufted Duck.
Mute Swan family....5 immature in total
Chaffinch, Robin, Woodpigeon, Wren, Dunnock, Jackdaw, Crow, Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Jay, 5 Stock Dove, Magpie, Linnet, Great Tit, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Bullfinch, Long Tail Tit, Reed Warbler.
Lastly....blooming marvelous.....like the Ragged Robin earlier in the season...this plant only appears in one place on the entire site that I have found.....
Common Toadflax, Linaria vulgaris
Those Geese must be the ones I watch every evening and morning as they fly over, hundreds of 'em!
ReplyDeleteI agree re. the Sloe Gin, absolutley lovely when you come in after a cold afternoon's birding in the winter, goes down a treat. One of the wines I used to enjoy making was Tea wine, comes out like a tawny sherry if you're lucky.
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