Titchfield Haven

To add to my Southampton adventures, on Wednesday my brother, Claire and myself went to Titchfield Haven.



Above & below: I couldn't get a decent digiscoped image of an Avocet so here's two thanks to my brother.



Below: A digiscoped image of a Teal.

Southampton

End of financial year at work and I finally get some well deserved rest (well at least I think so). I decided on a visit to Southampton to see my brother and his wife and here is some of what we got up to:

Saturday afternoon we set out for a camp site in the New Forest.



Above: Claire in Rollie (the camper van) - the adventure begins!

Saturday evening we ate expensive but tasty food at the nearby pub.



Above: Mark & Claire at The Three Tons

Sunday morning was spent lounging around in the sun.



Above: Me doing the crossword.

Sunday afternoon we went to Mudeford - an interesting place full of beach huts out on a limb. We could only get there by foot or road train (we chose to put one foot in front of the other several thousand times).



Above: Mudeford beach huts.



Above: My SIL with her BIL (Sister/Brother-in-law!).

On this walk we saw a few Swallows, Sand Martins, Meadow Pipits, Godwits, Shelduck, Little Egret, Oystercathers, Dunlin and Redshank.

Then we came back home, ate a Roast tea and played a computer quiz game that called me slow...

Monday morning and I set out on a bike ride north from Southampton on the cyclepath/footpath alongside the River Itchin. According to local legend, you're not supposed to go swimming in the Itchin because you come out a Scratchin'!

An hour later when I was supposed to be turning round and going back for lunch, and no longer in the area that the OS map shows, I decided to find out where I was near to. 5 minutes later after a change of direction (off the footpath and onto the road) I found a village and a sign saying Winchester was only 4.1 miles away. Decision made, I was going to have lunch in Winchester.

Ate a nice meal in the Slug & Lettuce, did some shopping and cycled back. I showered, changed and was shuffled out the door to visit Lakeside Country Park in Eastleigh:



Above: Mallard ducklings - my first of the year. Presumably this brood has already been depleted from the original number hatched.



Above: My little brother finally learning to run after 30 years!



Above: Me pulling the strings on a stunt kite.

Liverpool beat Man City 3-0 in the Monday night match that we watched at the pub. Good result.

This morning was a bit lazy but we went to Keyhaven Salt Marshes with a picnic for lunch and an afternoon stroll around the 4km walk.



Above: A Turnstone. A digiscoped image (Opticron scope, Panasonic camera). I'm rather pleased with this one.



Above: Spot the 3 Turnstones. Taken by my brother on his Nikon and zoom lens.



Above: Me with my scope.

I'm going back to Bedford tomorrow before I get maimed by my SIL for telling one to many jokes and/or puns!

The Stag 1

Hi Mark, if you thought the ritual humiliation was over and done with, think again. Here are some of the highlights.



Above: Having caught The Stag on his way to the toilet with a bowl of cereal (in one end, out the other is Mark's way of saving precious time in the morning), he obviously thought it wouldn't be good form, so he shat ... sorry, typo ... sat at the computer instead!



Above: Shaving the stag! Lately, Mark's hair has been migrating downwards (from the top of his head to his chinny chin chin).



Above: Doug kindly organised some food at his pad. The Stag displays his dominance over the pack by showing us how big and uncouth he really is!



Above: The Stag (centre in the double handed teapot pose) and his pack after some quadbiking fun.



Above: The Stag doesn't want to leave the stripping for later. He'd rather get it over and done with early on!



Above: The apes gather!





Above: Go Ape is a treetop adventure for groups of people who like to hang around and Ape it up.

The Stag 2

Above: No Mark, Claire won't be happy if you marry this ape instead just because it has a big erection!



Above: Don't look down Mark! Going first and desperate not to cock up, Mark is showing us how it is all done ... on the training course - 3 ft above the ground!



Above: Mark is horsing around on the stirrup challenge!



Above: There was plenty of time for Mark to take the mick out of other people too!



Above: The day was a barrel of laughs!

The Stag 3

Above: Wooooohooooooo!



Above: Mark: "Me? Pose for photographs? Never ... anyway, I am too busy climbing!"



Above: Mark is acting cool



Above: Mark in his natural ape habitat.



Above: At the bottom of the last zip line, Go Ape stickers were stuck to his head. Look on the bright side Mark - at least when you pealed them off it shouldn't have hurt because there are very few hairs on your head!
Also - like confetti - as he came in for the landing, we threw woodchip at him! Did it taste nice Mark?