It feels like I’ve been here, there and everywhere this week, with the only constant being that each day, for various reasons has involved a bit of bird spotting. Not my usual past time at all, but as Clare and I are still working our way back up to fitness, its been an outdoor activity that’s not needed too much in the way of physical exertion!

This week, twenty years ago, Clare and I went on our first official ‘date’, back when she was living at this incredible house on the banks of the Menai Straits. As a bit of a reminisce, we walked down past it while there was a huge spring tide. The downstairs boathouse would have been filling up with water and most of the promenade to Menai Bridge was also briefly flooded. We had to walk along the top of the wall to get around! As well as spotting a few birds, there are signs of Spring at The Cottage as well.

After a night away on Anglesey with Clare, I went down to make a visit to Fort Martin, where Mum and I heard a Goldcrest at the Loddington wetlands area.

We took an early morning walk around the ponds on Friday, to see what we could see and our phone App, managed to hear many more. But the gardens of Fort Martin came up with the most birds – the App ‘heard’ 17 different types, just while we had breakfast!

Today (Saturday), Clare and I turned back from an attempt at rock climbing in the Slate quarry as the rains beat us to the cliffs. We turned the car around and went to the coast where it remained dry for an hour or so longer. We hiked the new section of coastal path, then went for lunch at a new cafe in Bangor, after hearing (but only getting a fleeting glimpse of) another Goldcrest! (Goldcrest is the name of Clare’s company, so we were keen to see one!). Back at The Cottage now, with rain outside, but the fire lit and some exiting plans being made for the new few days…