The Safari has been playing out in the big smoke. A train ride of an hour or so took us into a strange alien urban territory known as Manchester. what a strange place full to busting with upright bipedal mammalian forms of all sizes, shapes and hues and many of them making sounds unheard by us before. What a great multi-cultural experience although we wouldn't want to be there too long - we need a lot more wild and green.
After a wander round a host of retail establishments with Wifey we started to make our way to our destination, a concert hall we haven't been to for about 30 years, the last time we were there we saw a rather famous rockin flute player known for standing on one leg who for his school days was a local lad too. About half way we were walking down on of the shop filled streets which was lined with a few trees illuminated in the modern way by a myriad of sparkly lights. At the top we saw a small bird, a Goldfinch, then noticed beneath it another larger bird, a Mistle Thrush - year bird #48 for Wifey. So there is life amid the concrete, glass, steel and noise. As the Urban Birder says Look UP!
We were in town to see Runrig a Celtic rock band we've seen several times before but not since 1997, deffo time to catch up with them again. Once inside the hall we realised we'd left our phone at home so we weren't going to be able to get any pics for you and have had to rely on ace photographer Wifey.
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| Wifey's pic - she's missed Rory and Malcolm off! |
So good Wifey has booked to go again later in the summer, this time in their and her homeland Bonny Scotland.
This morning we awoke to a different tune, that of a Wren (Garden #21). The local Blackbird was giving it plenty too.
At work we didn't see much at sea, the best was the snow on the both 'arms' of the bay, the highest peaks of Snowdonia (living up to its name for once) and the Lake District had a healthy smattering of the white stuff.
Our gardeners have just about finished brutalising our work garden, it looks rough but it'll be fine by mid-summer. They wanted a quick chat about which bits to finish off during which the lilting rolling call of a Skylark (P2 #40) was heard as it passed overhead. A good tick here, the last one was 2014 and before that back in 2011.
Yesterday there was a mega at the nature reserve but unfortunately we were unable to get there. what was this mega? A Tawny Owl, only the eighth since 1950, one of which we saw in the trees at the rear of what is now the Feeding Station hide in about 1992/3??? Would seriously like to connect with it if it's still about, there appears to be no news from the reserve today.
Where to next? More Patch 2 excitement and maybe a sneaky last minute visit to the nature reserve on the way back to Base Camp.
In the meantime let us know who's found their voice in your outback.
1 comment:
Enjoyed the account of your big city adventure - the only reason my partner and I venture into Manchester is for gigs as well
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