Thursday 20.12.2018

Cinema today, good picture ' Mortal Engines' if you like the Marvel comic type of films, plenty of action of the Avatar type!.

Then a trip to Lydl for some shopping!, you have to get stocked up don't you, I mean the shops are shut for 24 hours aren't they!.

Haircut today as well, as it's out dog club Christmas dinner tomorrow and I can't very well sit there with my hat on can I?, there was one cutting and two bagging as usual.

Checked out the collective noun for Birds.

And Parrots are known as 

A company of Parrots 

A Prattle of Parrots 

A pandemonium of Parrots.

I think these Ring Necked Parakeets must come under these groups.

They are all living and nesting quite happily in the trees in Reddish Vale Country Park!.

A wind swept Robin over the weekend.


This is a picture I took a few years ago in Etherow Country Park.
Our National Bird and rightly so in my opinion. 

Merry Christmas &  A Happy New Year to all our readers

Weekend, 15-16.12.2018.

On Saturday we went to Reddish Vale and got a few pictures of the Mandarin ducks.

As you can see when they are out of the water they are white underneath.

Beautiful little birds.

In the information centre it was all hustle and bustle as a lot of the volunteers were in decorating the children's room into a grotto for Father Christmas's arrival on the Sunday.

Pepe got in on the act with a star on his head.

When I arrived it was a real festive affair with the Christmas decorations up and carols playing and all the chairs taken, it was really Christmasy with no room at the inn! 

Pepe at 3 months old.

On the Sunday as I didn't want to be stuck down the Vale with all the Children visiting Santa, we went to Debdale Park first calling at Mcdonalds for a snack to put us on until dinner at Son John's later.

Soon got a few friends calling in, this cheeky chappy was stood on the Glass roof of my car looking in, don't get snaps like that often, as you can see the weather wasn't too good.

This one stood on my bonnet looking in the windscreen, felt guilty eating in front of it.

Then after a walk round Debdale it was off to Dinner, calling at the Snipe to feed the Swan family there, Mum, Dad and 6 cygnets there and very tame.

This is Jessie the Cockerpoo, very affectionate always wants to sit with someone.

And then there is Max another Cockerpoo a year younger and a bit more reserved.

Well that's it for another year.

Merry Christmas &  A Happy New Year to all our readers

Reddish Vale Country Park. 1-2 12.2018.

This past weekend though a bit wet and breezy, we made the effort and went down to the Vale!.

As you can see Saturday was a bit misty early on.

This would have been my first flying Heron, but as I said too misty.

This little fellow wasn't worried though and came quite close for some seeds.

Later in the day the mist cleared and I was able to get a few more clear pix's

Got some good detail on this Male Goosanders beak.

And his mate's beak too.

Cute little, Little Grebe or Dabchick.

Tufted Duck.

Apologies for more Ring Necked Parakeets but they are beautiful aren't they, and not everyone knows where to find them.

This Moorhen came running up shouting "Save some for me"!, perhaps my over active imagination again?. 

Not forgetting the little guys with this Dunnock or Tree sparrow.

And this Male Chaffinch.

Mr & Mrs Mandarin.

Just as nice off the water with their white belly's and quite aggressive with other birds and can stand up for themselves even though they are smaller than most of the other ducks. 

Pepe isn't bothered with the wildlife, I won't think you could eat a full one Pepe!.

Whilst I went to the new Loo's my Cinema friend David with his Daughters Pug Geoff held on to Pepe for me.

"David the Dog Whisperer"

Pepe 9 years old and Geoff, only a young whipper snapper not one yet!.

They get on well though.

Did you spot the new seasonal header?.

Well that's another week over, soon be Christmas!.

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Wednesday down the Vale, 21.11.2018.

Down the Vale on Wednesday was quite cold and a bit misty so the pictures were not too good early on, but got better as the streets were aired!.

There were plenty of Goosanders about.

This is a Male and I always thing they are not as colourful as the females, which isn't the norm with birds is it!.

Females day out?.

Where are we going today Gladys?.

"The butler."

The shy Little Grebes

Preening time.

Are you coming indoors to help with the housework or are you going to stay out weighing up the other females all day!

Talk about Idle Jack!.

A couple of Mandarin Ducks, the beautiful colours on the male but the females are nicely marked in their own way aren't they

How do you get so many colours on one bird?.

They say a camel was designed by a committee but you can't say the same about these beautiful birds can you!.

"Stay away from my bird Mr Mallard"

I think this Crows mother has been seeing a magpie, but I read somewhere that they develop the white on their wings to imitate Magpies so they can go in their territory without being attacked, who knows!.

Then a nice Gammon, Egg and Chips at Morrison's for dinner and a warm up!.

Thursday was cinema day and this week it was Robin Hood but turned out like nothing as before!.

It was a bit like the "Assassins Creed" video game and all played out in the town and it was only in the last scenes did they all go to the Greenwoods.

I read in the papers at McDonalds that Lee Child has finally decided to drop Tom Cruise from the roll of Jack Reacher, which I'm sure will make a lot of his fans happy me included.

I like Tom Cruise in other roles but he's no Jack Reacher is he.

Today (Friday) had a trip to Daisy Nook to see friends there and then over to the Garden Centre for one of their Coffee and Cake deals £2.50!. 

 Well that's it for another day. 

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