Tag: greylag geese

Cardiff Caper

A look at yesterday’s Women’s Six nations clash between Wales and England and a photo gallery.

Yesterday in the women’s Six Nations rugby England travelled to Cardiff to take on Wales at the Principality Stadium. England has won comfortably in their opener against Italy, but the Italians had given a good account of themselves in the second half, albeit one not reflected by them scoring many points of their own. Thus they went to Cardiff looking for a complete performance, not just another win.

THE FIRST HALF

Wales started fast, with Jenni Scoble scoring the first try of the match, which was duly converted. England hit back hard with three tries in the next ten minutes, the first from Meg Jones, not merely possessed of a Welsh surname but an actual Welsh speaker. The second try was scored by Sarah Bern, by dint of sheer power. With 27 minutes on the clock Feaunati scored her second try of the match and England’s fourth to secure the bonus point. That was it for first half scoring, but it was clear that holding England at bay was the limit of Welsh capabilities.

THE SECOND HALF

If the first half had been impressive the second half was downright frightening from England, as they absolutely steamrollered the home side. First Ellie Kildunne showed why she is rated by many as the best female rugby player on the planet right now by scoring a hat trick of tries in the space of about ten minutes. Abby Dow was the next to make her presence felt, scoring England’s eighth try. Try number nine came from Abi Burton, who has been through health problems of sufficient magnitude that at one point she was in an induced coma. Dow scored her second, which took England to 60 points. Then in the dying embers of the match Burton, only on the field for seven minutes, scored the second try of an astonishing international debut, with the conversion ending the match. The final score was Wales 12 England 67, and England were not especially flattered by that score line. This tournament, at least for England, is really a warm-up for the upcoming world cup, of which England are hosts. On the evidence of this performance few would dare to bet against the home side lifting that trophy.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Pensthorpe – The Trailer Ride

Completing my account of the WNAG visit to Pensthorpe a week ago with the trailer ride.

Welcome to the final post in my series (posts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 can be viewed by clicking the appropriate number). about the West Norfolk Autism Group trip to Pensthorpe. This post deals with the trailer ride (we had two booked, and I was on the second at 12 noon).

THE JOURNEY

There are some parts of Pensthorpe that cannot be accessed on foot, and others that sufficiently far from the starting point that doing so would take a very long time. The vehicle that pulls the trailer is a Land Rover Defender. In the course of the journey one sees some of the farm area, both old and new growth woodland, lakes, ponds that are a remnant of the last ice age and nesting sites of one sort and another for birds and bats. We got a glimpse of the Aberdeen Angus cattle but not the longhorns that they also have. The route takes in parts of two former railway routes which crossed the land – one was part of a major railway company, the other a smaller local route, and both were killed by Beeching in the 1960s. We also saw a family of greylag geese, with six youngsters. On a day like we had the absence of shelter was never an issue, and being in such an open vehicle did make photography easier. If you do not do the trailer ride you will never have anything close to a complete picture of Pensthorpe.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Here are my photographs from the trailer ride…

A nesting box for barn owls.
This is for terns.
bat boxes – ensuring that the bats can always be away from the direction of the sun (all the species in this area are tiny, with the pipistrelle the most frequent visitor).
The greylag goose family (four shots).

Musical Keys and Birds

A brief account of Musical Keys and some bird pictures.

INTRODUCTION

Saturday was a music day, and I have plenty of pictures to share from recent days.

MUSICAL KEYS – THE KORG

These sessions are organised for the benefit of autistic people, so before I get into the meat of this section here is stimtheline’s magnificent Autistic Bill of Rights:

Autistic Bill of Rights.pub

The Korg is a very sophisticated machine (for classical music enthusiasts it looks a 21st century version of a clavichord, but it does so much more). I will let the photographs tell the story (I got most of these by playing with my left hand while using the camera with my right FYI):

Korg IKorg IIKorg IIIKorg IVKorg VKorg VIKorg VIIKorg VIIIKorg IXKorg X

BIRDS OF ALL SIZES

We start with the largest bird to be a regular feature of life in Britain – the mute swan:

MSXMSXIMSXIIMSXIIIMSXIVMSXVMSXVIMSXVIIMSXIXMSXXMSXXI

Next we come to a much smaller species, which I have not previously captured on camera, a little wader called a turnstone (I seem to recall that a few years back The Lynn News had a columnist who used Turnstone as a nom de plume):

Turnstone ITurnstone II

Further along the Great Ouse and on the side of the river were a few specimens of a larger bird that is not a regular sight in these parts – the greylag goose:

Greylag geese

We end with a couple of cormorant shots:

Cormorant CSwimming cormorant

 

 

Scotland – Ferry Cottage and Environs

The .latest in my series of Scottish posts.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the latest installment in my series about my holiday in Scotland. This one deals with the immediate area around the house where we were staying. It features pictures from a small walk on the Saturday evening, a longer walk on Sunday morning and the house itself.

FERRY COTTAGE

Ferry Cottage is part of a large estate, the Balmacara Estate, which was given to National Trust Scotland in lieu of death duties in 1946 and has been administered by them ever since. As the name suggests a Ferry service used to run from just outside it. Here are some pictures…

Ferry Cottage
Ferry Cottage

Map, Ferry Cottage
The first of two maps on display at Ferry Cottage

Western Isles Map, Ferry Cottage

View from window FC
A view through the kitchen/diner/sitting room area

THE FIRST WALK – LOCHALSH HOUSE AND BALMACARA SQUARE

Lochalsh House was pretty much rebuilt in the 1930s – a total of £230,000 was spent on it then, and it reflects that heritage. 

335the loch sideLoch Alsh334

Lochalsh House1
Lochalsh House through the treers

Lochalsh House2
Lochalsh House

Having seen Lochalsh house we went back in the other direction, and walked by way of a Visitor’s Centre to Balmacara Square…

Balmacara InfoInfo close upTurning over a clean leafTrail MapBalmacara Square 1Balmacara Square2Balmacara Square InfoButterfly

WALK TWO – RERAIG

On Sunday morning we walked to the village of Reraig where newspapers and food can be bought. Rather than retrace our steps we walked back along the foreshore of the loch (under British law no one can own foreshore). Here are the pictures…

Distant view of Craggan CottageBalmacara House to Craggan CottageBalmacara House to Craggan Cottage2Kyleakin2351352Skye Bridge 9Stony beachesStone gatewayReraig Spar

Reraig info board
Info board in Reraig

Reraig info board - Balmacara EstateReraig info board - scenic depthsSkye Bridge 10War MemorialCliffStone with holeStone with hole 2KingcupsFoxgloveStones with holesGullsGulls and sheep373Log

P1000378
One of many and various shells I saw – there is a special post coming about this aspect.

P1000379Pink flowersPink flowers2386LichensJellyfishLichen

AMONG THE ROCKS
OUTSIDE FERRY COTTAGE

I subsequently ventured out again although I did not go very far. Here are the pictures…

Mini streamRockpoolrockplantsrock formation1399redjellyGoose1

Goose2
large swimming bjrd (pos greylag goose)

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