BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 Time at Mum and Dad's

 

 
          A couple of weeks with Mum and Dad, with occasional trips out to either see a local bird, get my bike fixed or helping Acorns Children's Hospice.

          First trip out was to Frankley and Bartley reservoirs, situated on the west of Birmingham. Target birds were a couple of white-wingers that had been seen there; Iceland and Glaucous Gull*. 

          Glaucous was seen, albeit distantly because of the tall fences that surround Frankley Waters. The fences are to stop Welsh national terrorists, if they exist as they would love to disrupt the water supply to Birmingham. The water comes from the Elan Valley in Wales.

          Good bird goes onto the BIGBY bird list.

          Garden birds included this Siskin, first ones seen well with the ones on the list being a fly over flock that I saw back in January in Shropshire.

          My next outing was over the weekend of March 5-6th. The main aim of Saturday was to help fundraise for Acorns Children's Hospice by being at my beloved Aston Villa for their match against Southampton.

          You may not have recognised me if you were at the match!          

          It was fabulous dancing to the music of the band outside the immense Trinity Road stand, whilst making sure that Alex the Acorn gave as many people, especially children and parents, as much fun as possible.

          The fundraising went well and Villa won 4 - 0. I was outsdie the ground when Ollie Watkins scored the first, maybe the first time I have ever been outside the ground when Villa scored in almost sixty years of going to the matches. Strange but wonderful.

          Villa's support of Acorns Children's Hospice has been going on for over a decade now. Back when Martin O'Neill was manager Villa sponsored Acorns Children's Hospice and had Acorns emblazoned on the team shirts. How proud to be a Villa fan back then and those Villa shirts are still the only ones with a name on them that I will wear. I will never wear a shirt with a car sales company, a casino, a betting company or a printer manufacturer logo. 

           It is all about supporting the fabulous hospice and help the children, parents, families and staff.

          Of course fundraising is ongoing and it would be fabulous if you could give something to this incredible hospice via the link below : 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022

        Thanks everyone.

          On the way there, cycled of course, no fossil fuel transport allowed this year, I went to Edgbaston Reservoir in the hope of seeing the Iceland Gull* that had been seen intermittently there recently.

         On arrival I found it almost immediately! Whilst filming and photographing the bird a couple of Ring-necked Parakeets* flew over. Two new birds for my BIGBY bird list, brilliant!

          After the match I went to a nearby pub to stay overnight, Shanahans and was given free accommodation and breakfast. The cost of this became a donation for Acorns. I was also allowed to collect money for Acorns from the punters.         

http://www.shanahansuk.com/

 Thanks Billy, Annie and everyone at Shanahans.