Saturday at Pear Mill Cafe, 17.12.22.

 Well, at least it's raining today though underfoot it was still a little icy, so good job I'd thought about that when I bought my new shoes in the summer, plenty of tread!.

We had our usual meet at Pear Mill Cafe today and had a nice chat in the warmth with our individual choice of meal, what a strange world it would be if we all thought alike.

We had our usual chat putting the world to rights and then a game of Gin Rummy, about our mark at our ages!.

Our table decoration this week, one on every table.

This one at the front door as you walk in!

Yesterday I was at Reddish Vale Park, well wrapped up I might add.

The Robin's always look nice at Christmas don't they, makes one wonder how they manage in this weather when you look at the layers I've got on. 

A great Tit.

A Coal Tit.

Inside the information centre.

Then to Morrisons for a warm up and meal.

A Mini Fish & Chips, what's a normal one like you might ask?.

It's been on the weather forecast on BBC that we are going to get it warmer on Monday, 13 degrees!, will believe that when I see it, though my windscreen washers have defrosted today so it must be getting better!.

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😂

 

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Tuesday & Wednesday, 13-14. 12.22.

Tuesday, I went to Reddish Vale County Park to find the Sunnyside pond frozen over still so no Kingfishers about, there again I wasn't surprised as there were about 10 other photographers there, most I was told were from Daisy Nook County Park area.

The only one I knew was Malcolm Doyle, he said the others were mostly new and had these great big cameras with Camo covers on and I felt a bit like the poor relation until Malcolm told them I had had a picture of mine in the first Daisy Nook Calendar!, which made them look at me a bit differently, I wouldn't want one of those huge heavy cameras!.

Captured this shy Jay, but he wouldn't come any closer with all that lot about. 

  Plenty of Blackbirds about though.

Squirrel Nutkin there too.

Plenty of Nuthatches too, never seen so many at one time.

As I was sat there after all the others had gone saw this nuthatch about four foot away looking for bugs under the woodwork.

Perhaps fancied a nice juicy bug for dessert after all the seeds

A Coal Tit.

I then went to see if I could find any Parakeets, and found a pair in the big tree where they used to nest before the pandemic. 

This looks a nice place Gladys

Got to have a Robin haven't you!

A little dunnock too.

So all in all a nice but very cold day, but my new jacket stood up to the cold well.

Wednesday I went to the Windmill, (Denton) with friends for our Christmas dinner, which was just the same as a ordinary Carvery to us but that's what we wanted and very nice too. 
On the way home I called at the ressers to feed the birds and nearly got mugged by them!.

The Pennines in the distance.

Then nearer.

Then nearer still.

Glad I went but didn't stay long as it was -4, but did manage to capture four Cormorants fishing and hanging out to dry!.
Only two posers though.

Thanks for the seed!, Peter.

So another good day even with the cold.

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What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?

I don't know and I don't care!.

Books

Know your letters by Alf a Bet.

I was a failed lion tamer by Claude bottom.

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Over the weekend, 9-11.12.22.

 I went to Reddish Vale on the Friday, but the Sunnyside pond was frozen over, so no Kingfisher in attendance!.

The Squirrels were there in numbers, enjoying the monkey nuts so it wasn't a wasted journey.

This one seems to have been fighting and lost a bit of tail.

Saturday it was snowing so showing a bit of common sense, didn't go to Pear Mill, I always think it's not the going but what's it going to be like when you come out again?.

Then by dinner time it had started to look a little better so went over to McDonald's for lunch and then a walk onto the ressers in my new camo jacket, was warm as toast in that.

The birds were soon flocking round me.

Even Mr Swan came out to see what was on offer.

He even came up to me and was taking food out of my hand

Quite big when they are next to you.

Quite fickle though, soon wander off when the foods all gone.

Then looking across the water, saw these young guys ignoring all the signs and warnings to stay out of the water on normal days, never mind when it's below zero!.

I was going to go to the sailing club and tell them about these stupid guys, but the boat club were on the ball and sent a boat out to tell them to get out of the water. 

There was another guy there but he was shadow boxing, that will keep one warm I guess.

There were a couple of Cormorants out on the water, but made me feel quite cold keep diving under the water, didn't seem to catch anything though.

Sunday never turned out at all, too cold.

Did get a couple of pictures from in the garden, the goldfinches are doing well on their Sun flower hearts.

The goldfinches are quite selective with their seeds and only seem to eat certain ones, but the dunnocks who are ground feeders mainly, soon pick up the rejects. 

Look very much like sparrows but notice the narrower beak, always seem to be on the floor so you could miss them.

So it was Back to Pear Mill Cafe today, with a bit of shopping on the way home.

I got a call from the Vet as well today to call in for Pepe's ashes, which were in a nice presentation box, they will have to stay in that until the better weather when I can get up to Dovestones were my wife's ashes are there under a tree planted for her.

Taken a few years ago with my son, so tree is bigger now.

Click here.

Pepe will be joining her at last!.

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Do you know why Turtle wax is so dear?

Because turtles have really tiny ears!.

Now an important announcement for all drivers travelling to Shrewsbury on the M11.

The M11doesn't go to Shrewsbury!.

What's a polygon?

A dead parrot.

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Kingfishers at the Vale, 7.12.22.

 Had a good day today at Reddish Vale Park.

There were four of us photographers at Sunnyside Pond, I did feel a bit like the poor relation with my camera as the others had those big lens ones with the camo covers on, still its what turns you on isn't it.

There was a kingfisher there in full view and it was diving into the water which at the far end was frozen over, which had me thinking what do they do when its fully frozen over??.

Had a look on the internet and it said they use holes in the ice, but what if there are no holes!.

There was an article on the internet where somewhere in the Balkans, a guy had cut out a Kingfisher what was frozen solid in a diving position! wow, and we though eating was getting hard for some!.

Here are some of my todays efforts.

I know there are a lot, but they are beautiful aren't they.

I didn't know until today that kingfisher could hover like Kestrels' or humming birds, but they can, I saw it today, I was so busy pointing it out to the others that I missed getting a shot myself. I see one of the guys got a shot and added it to the Reddish Vale website, good for him!.

Did get this one in the picnic area behind the info centre.

I got so cold stood there and the info centre didn't open so it was off to Morrisons for a hot drink and  a Mini Fish & Chips.

goodness knows what a full size one is like, too big for me in the pass.

 I'd ordered a Camo jacket with inner quilted waistcoat from Amazon yesterday and could have used it today, but there again it was on the door step today when I got home, so the way the weather is going it will be put to good use!.

Still missing my little companion, here he is with me and Margie Cooper off the telly at Pear Mill in happier times.

You'll just have to recognise me by the hats nowadays!. 

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A man goes to the Doctors and says "I can't pronounce my

Fs, Ts and Hs"

Well said the doctor "you can't say Fairer That That".

She's a light eater, When it gets light she starts eating!.

Wife says to Husband,

I've made the chicken soup.

Oh thank god! I thought that muck was for us!.

It's the way I tell em!

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