Monday, September 30, 2024

28 September 2024: Waterford to Stow on the Wold

 


It was a very long day of travel.  We were up at 8AM and ate our breakfast.  Then we packed up the car, drove two hours back to Cork, quickly picked up the big bags and then another half hour to the airport.  We were priority so we got to spend the next two hours in the lounge.  Then we flew to London Heathrow and got into a van for another two hour drive to Stow on the Wold.  This last drive was the toughest as the roads were rough and the seats were very uncomfortable.   


Our breakfast nook


Bikers out for a Saturday morning ride


We took the coat road


We were blessed with clear weather


Great scenery


Classic Irish vistas


Mudflats


River crossings


Estuaries


Ocean views


It is still very green


The river leading into Cork


The Cork riverfront


The sleepy airport


Not busy in any definition of the word


Last sip of the Jameson


Irish Elvis in in the building


Serious sideburns


Flying over Ireland


Then over England


Then we saw London


The Thames river


Waiting for our driver


Sun setting in the distance


The next hour will be on marginal roads and in the dark


Off to the store


The town is quaint


All lit up


Classic Cotswold's limestone


 It has been 2 years and 115 days since we began our Migration


27 September 2024 Waterford: A Three Mile Birding Walk

 


In between lunch and dinner I took advantage of the bright sunny day and took a three mile hike around the island.  I cataloged all of them and put a checklist up on eBird with 24 species on it.  I walked most of the east side of the island and made it to the lighthouse.  



The deer were watching me 


Song Thrush


More deer


Blackbird


A cool little cottage in the woods


A tiny well in the background


The island is quite beautiful


Herring Gull


Hooded gull


Mute swan


The golf course


A fake owl


Mallard


Eurasian moorehen


Getting all of my ducks in a row


Looking up the west side of the island


A big berm


The swamp outlet into the river


Here is the lighthouse


Some sort of depot


Little egret


Rook


Common Redshank


Tussocks of grass


Perhaps a common greenshank?  Merlin made the identification from its call


A train went by honking its horn and scared up all the gulls


Little grebe


The Redshank


Perhaps an otter


Walking down to the water


Common Sandpiper


Very skittish birds


Eurasian Curlew


Basking in the sun



 It has been 2 years and 114 days since we began our Migration