“Welcome back to Manchester.” said the pilot’s voice as the 'plane taxied across the airport tarmac. “Please remain in your seats until the aircraft has stopped and the seat belt light is switched off.” the voice intoned. “The temperature outside is seven degrees, and it’s raining.” he advised, with just a hint of mischief and to the collective groans of 340 passengers. Effective come-uppance then for our daring to leave the January cold and spend two weeks in the 22 degrees sunshine of Lanzarote. I dozed in the back of the taxi to the swish of windscreen wipers, the blur of the rain spattered traffic of the M61, M62, M55 and then finally the calmer roads of the Fylde, until we unloaded the suitcases and back to reality.
After breakfast I’d taken a final stroll around the streets of Puerto Calero to the calls of Collared Doves, chattering Spanish Sparrows and the unmusical songs of Southern Grey Shrikes, making full use of the street lamps to proclaim their territories.
So home again, back to blogging and a quick post. I’ll catch up with friends and followers soon with more pictures and words from Lanzarote and try to get back into the real winter birding.
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16 comments:
From what we can already see in this post you got fun!! Sometime hard to go back home ;-) I'm eager to see the rest of your pictures!
Hola amigo Phil, de nuevo ya estoy por aquí, tu como siempre nos ofreces bellas imágenes y excelentes reportajes, un abrazo para ti amigo
Have those cacti been given too much booze I wonder? ;-)))
Oh yeah, welcome back home.
7 degrees! Much warmer than here Phil!
Hey Phil...it is just about time you came back to reality ; ]
And besides there is no one to raze when your not on the blog..lol
Well I glad you had a good time basking in the warmth ( like heck I am..who am I kidding)
I really am happy for you and the wife!!
Flowers and cactus only a dream for me!! Looking forward to your gloating about your time away!! ; ]
Grace
Welcome home Phil...you were missed and I am so glad that you had some rest and relaxation. It is always wonderful to get away, and even with returning to the reality of the weather situation...tis good to be home...yes~
The birds are magnificent as are those lovely plants!!!
I only had 4 entries while you were away, that I thought...I know Phil would like these;~
When you have a chance, click on Sandhill Cranes on my labels on side bar...it was totally amazing! Take care~
HiPhil: Welcome back to reality all the best.JWB.
Wow Phil, looks like a great time with wonderful bird sightings. The Sparrow is pretty and what a cool looking Shrike. The flowers look like bougainvillea and are very colorful and pretty. Looking forward to reading more about your trip to paradise.
Seven degrees sounds good to me! It's minus 10 Celsius here right now.
How neat to see the shrike!
Wow love that Spanish Sparrow! Looking much smarter than the normal House and Tree Sparrow... Waiting to see more photos from your trip!
Looks like Lanzarote was a great trip. Enjoyed seeing your feathered friends and some of the horticulture. Happy Critter Day and welcome home.
Love the sparrow....ours in America are quite drab compared to this one. And the flowering plant in the last photo, we call them bougainvillea.
If I Could Talk to the Animals
Gorgeous shots, Phil!
Great photos! That one bird looks like he's about to get up close and personal!
My photo is over at Two Barking Dogs on Wordpress (not the Blogger link).
http://www.twobarkingdogs.wordpress.com
I loved them all but my favorite was the Spanish Sparrow. So cute!
Cool shots! Love the Shrikes. Cool birds with an attitude:)
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