Isle of Wight

After 11 days on holiday,  we set off home this morning from the Isle of Wight.

We were early for our 9 a.m. appointed ferry crossing and managed to catch the 8.00 a.m. one - a great start to the long journey home today but .... things went down hill fast.

The English motorway system is tripe, 280 miles and we got home at 7p.m.

Even the diversion signage for the Silverstone Gran Prix road closure was confusing.

Some signs warned of A43 completely closed 4th to 7th July others stated 5th - 7th July.

We risked the road being open and luckily got through - today 4th  ok. 

Anyway - hoilday,

(We are going to the Isle Of Wight earlier than previously because of family commitments and this means that the returning Gulls and Waders are still on Soil Hill!).

The 1st four days of the holiday were mega boiling hot. We did lots of walking during the day and come the evening I was too fatigued to go out birding.

After the boiling weather came the very hot weather, in fact we only had one 15 minute cloudburst in the 10 days on the island.

The Red Arrows paid us a visit on Armed Forces Day - great spectacle.

Birding wise I did not see as many bird species as I have previously, by a long chalk.

Several Cetti's warblers were near  the Bembridge ponds path (all heard , couple seen briefly, non photographed). Also here 2 Curlew,  7 Redshank and a Greenshank.

A pr. of Shelduck with one duckling were in the harbour one evening.

I eventually got a Med. Gull at 8pm on my last evening here.

2 Hobbies were mobbing a Buzzard (again seen from Near Bembridge Harbour Area).

Little Egret very common near Bembridge Harbour.

Lots of Raven,

Masses of Swallow in the evenings on the Caravan Site (farmers field) and..

A Donkey that likes to say "HELLO" at 4:40 a.m. 

Sky full of Red Kites near Oxford on the way home.

One Tern species seen from the Ferry - but miles away - a Sandwich Tern.

Anyway... a few pics.

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