Local Birding Again and Canon-ball Christmas Pudding

I paid Marsh Lane NR a brief visit yesterday afternoon. As I drove up Old Road I realised there were hundreds of Fieldfares and Redwings feeding on berries in the hedgerow and swirling around in the sky.

I stopped the car and tried to use it as a hide - as you can see from the blurred photos below it wasn't a success!! I couldn't even call them record shots!! Problems were caused by the constant movement of the birds only alighting for seconds on berries together with the fact that they were hidden most of the time by a meshwork of twigs which totally confused the camera's automatic focus!

Fieldfare

Redwing

Leaves on an oak tree were a beautiful colour

Old Road is a public footpath and as I could see a dog walker approaching I gave up on the photographs as it would have taken the birds ages to settle again and went onto the reserve. I spent half an hour in the Car Park Hide.

All the usual species were on the pool or surrounding wetlands - Mute Swan, Cormorant, Teal, Shoveler, Lapwing, Canada and Greylag Geese, Wigeon, Mallard, Starlings, Grey Heron, Moorhen and Coot. I spent a lot of time studying the Lapwing flock as a Golden Plover had been spotted recently amongst them but if it was there it remained hidden. Blue and Great Tits and Goldfinches were on feeders near the car park. The Kestrel was hunting nearby - another rubbish shot of it perched in a tree (miles away!!!).

I went a walk along Old Road before leaving but sadly the flock of Fieldfares and Redwings seemed to have moved on. These two species were new for my list of birds seen on the reserve.



Garden Birds

Whilst washing up a few days ago I noticed out of the kitchen window a large congregation of Magpies and Carrion Crows perched in and flying round some nearby trees. There must have been around 15 Crows and nearly as many Magpies - a few are shown in the photo below.

There are quite a few interesting collective nouns for a group of these birds :)

A Horde, a Hover, a Mob, a Murder, a Muster or a Parcel of Crows and for a large group of Magpies A Conventicle or a Tidings!


Although we get up to half a dozen Magpies and Crows around the garden I have never seen so many as I did the other day. It made me wonder exactly what was going on - it seemed like a parliament of corvids. Perhaps they are just bird setting up territories and boundaries???




Christmas Pudding

Just to let you know that the Christmas Pudding turned out fine and came easily out of the mould. Sorry about the plastic sprig of holly in the photo below - I mistakenly thought it would improve the photo! At Christmas it will have a real sprig of holly and be smothered in brandy set alight :)

Donkeys at Sutton Park, Fungi and "Stir up Sunday"

When we were on holiday in Dorset in the summer we visited the main Donkey Sanctuary at Sidmouth in Devon and ever since D and E have wanted to visit the Donkey Sanctuary in Birmingham. D and E were both at home on Friday so we finally paid the centre a visit.

The Sanctuary is set in a beautiful location within Sutton Park.

We were given a really warm welcome and taken on a guided tour of the riding centre and paddocks.

This is Oscar - D's actual adopted donkey. He was allowed to groom him before the afternoon's riding session.

Some of the donkeys in the paddocks - sorry not the best lot of photos (the fences kept getting in the way!). The centre in Birmingham was set up 20 years ago and they provide homes for 20 male donkeys.

The Donkey Sanctuary is a worldwide charity that does wonderful work to protect and care for donkeys and mules. They also provide donkey assisted therapy to children with additional needs and make outreach visits to residential care homes and hospices.

To find out more please visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk




Sutton Park itself covers 2000 acres and was a medieval deer park given to Sutton Coldfield by Henry VIII in 1528. It was designated a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature in 1997. Its made up of a wide range of habitats - lowland heath, woodland, wetlands, marshes and lakes. I haven't visited for years but its a really good site for wildlife. In fact, the last time I went there it was to help with a primary school wildlife group outing when I spent most of the time making sure children didn't get lost, fall in a lake or whack each other round the head with the sticks they were constantly picking up. Not really conducive for wildlife watching!!!

As we drove out I stopped off take some photos of a log absolutely covered in fungi.

I really am not sure of the identity of the species - the closest I can get is "Chicken of the Woods"??

I really must make a return visit - probably next summer as I believe there is a small population of Green Hairstreak butterflies there.




Today is "Stir Up Sunday" (the last Sunday before Advent) when families traditionally get together to make Christmas Puddings - everyone taking their turn to stir the pudding mix and make a wish. It gets its name from the opening words of the collect in the church service for this date

"Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded: through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen".

As Christmas Puddings need to be made several weeks before Christmas presumably these words served as a reminder that it was time to get the puddings made so they can mature before Christmas Day.



For years D has wanted to make a round canon-shaped Christmas Pudding - in the past I've tried the method of making one in a cloth and steaming it and, believe me, it was not a success. So this year I've splashed out at great expense on a specially made Christmas Pudding mould which rather looks like something from outer space.

Rather pleased though that it has its own little trivet and handle!

Last night I put all the various dried fruits to soak overnight in lashings of brandy.

I've tried various recipes over the years but always come back to one by James Martin that the family seem to prefer.



Christmas Pudding mix

All piled up in the canon-shaped mould

Just in case there should be a mishap there was thankfully enough left to fill a small basin

Here they are steaming away just before I put the lids on.

Should the canon ball be a success I'll post a photo at Christmas!