Fabulous Frampton

Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve always delivers.  It's a great place to go to chill out, enjoy a walk or even just sit and chat to other like minded people in the visitor centre.  The visitor centre has great views over the Lagoons and scrapes and have Scopes set up for you to use so you don't even need to bring binoculars.

The Hides spread out around the reserve allow you to get close to the birds and are a great vantage point for photography.

Here's just a few shots I have taken recently which give a flavour of the reserve..

A Skylark.  Normally high in the sky chirruping away this one came to ground to feed.

The same Skylark.  Notice the crest on it's head.

Lots of Waders.  Mostly Redshank (right) but on this occasion a Redshank is joined by a Sanderling.

A lovely side profile of a Redshank.

The Sanderling

You never know what you will see...here was a Black Tailed Godwit

Two Great Crested Grebes in the middle of their courtship

Head plumage retracted..

A pair of Black Tailed Godwits feeding on the shoreline

Black Tailed Godwit again

An Avocent gliding majestically over one of the Lagoons

Avocet, Redshank and Coot all looking like they are waiting for a bus!

Serene Swans...I like the reflections in this shot

Black Headed Gulls wheeling their way noisily across the Lagoon

A common site at Frampton...large flocks heading in land from the Salt marshes overlooking the Wash

A large group of Golden Plover ...a common site here

A Reed bunting chilling 

A Little Egret gliding over the Scrapes..

A common site at Frampton..a Canada Goose

The skys are always active here...here a flock of Brent Geese are flying over..

Recent arrivals..a flock of 30plus Avocet.  The observant amongst you will also be able to spot the 'James Bond' bird in the water at the front...a Goldeneye

Mixed flocks are a plenty.  Here we have Brent Geese with Lapwings with Golden Plover

A male Shelduck looking for a place to land

A view over one of th Lagoons from the East hide looking over towards the 360 Hide.  Brent Geese are coming in to land to join a pair of Avocet

A column of lapwing on the move

Like a scene from Hitchcocks 'the Birds' ...Frampton gets busy!

Scampton miscellany

Here's some more miscellaneous pics from the RAF Scampton visit that i didn't use in the original posts..

Another view of Gibsons office.  Niggers grave is clearly visible outside of the window.

A Gnat and a Hawk mark the entrance into the Red Arrows offices and Hangar

Inside the original 617 Sqdn Hangar.  It looks like there will be a new memorial unveiled in  May...see whats on the palate

This view from inside the cab of a Green Godess fire engine shows ahow large the Hangars are..

One of two Green Goddesses 

Our guide pointing out the remains of a downed aircraft from Scampton that were recovered..and the story behind it

An incredible piece of history...

Another amazing piece of Dambuster history.  One of the original test bombs recovered from Reculver.

The cockpit section of a 'Lightening' jet

An early Nuclear missile, part of the 'Blue streak/ development program providing the UK with it's own Medium Range ballistic missiles.

A very large collection of Ejector seats

The kind people from the RAF fire Fighting museum next door offered us a ride and lift across the base to their vehicle storage facility...  This Fire Engine is 1 of only 3 built to this specification and was used in the Nuclear Weapons convoys.  Inside was a gun rack and each fire fighter had to be trained in the use of weapons.

Being driven around the base in the Nuclear Fire Engine

Pugh, Pugh, Barney, Magrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub and Jo!

They also turned on the sirens!

Just part of the 40plus vehicles housed in the old Hanger that was was used for fuelling the Nuclear Warheads!

The Flour, the Pie and the Saucepan..

Found these pics from our house warming cum Christmas bash that have not yet been posted.

It was a fun Paaaaaarty!

A delighted Ollie...seen something he likes!

Happy times..

Yup, I love you too son x

ME: "Yup, i'll certainly be playing with that" 

"Eee Aww  Eee Aww"..Ed pays the forfeit for losing one of the games

They are sooo niave at this age...Ben falls for the flour game

Sharons forfeit ...been made up by a blind folded Des!

"Ave it!"

Jo cops for a face full of Comedy Custard pie after falling for the 'torch and sheet' game :)

This still makes me laugh!



Snowy Spring
This pic was sent to me this afternoon from Des.  The Snowman he and Sophie, Chloe and Sharon made in their back garden.  8 out 10.