Thursday 10 March 2016

Kings Lynn to Boston

Monday 7th March fresh NE sunny intervals and cold

A day of cycling as far as I can towards Boston, Lincolnshire starts with a walk through Kings Lynn centre; well after three large fresh fruit-covered pancakes for breakfast. The Grange hotel, Kings Lynn isn't one of my favourite hotels for no reason. Jane, the bubbly Australian manageress, who in herself is a good reason to revisit, has brought not only three pancakes covered in raspberries, blueberries and banana but she has also put an extra four in foil for me to enjoy later. There's also the bottle of Canadian maple syrup with which to enjoy them with.
So with a little something sorted out as a gift to my daughter Rebecca, who is going to San Fransisco to give a presentation in a couple of weeks as part of her PhD, I set off along the country lanes along the south end of The Wash.
Today I do something I have never donr before whilst cycling. I have earphones in and the hours are passed by listening to and singing along to my favourite music.

Heacham passed, a large cafe has two armoured vehicles, a large RAF aircraft and a number of large missile shooting guns. A recruitement trailer for the army is parked here and there are 'Help The Heroes' flags flying.
I need a pee, one does occassionally when one is drinking two to three litres a session. The only private place is a broken down ruin of an old cottage and the deed is done inside, There's no roof so with the forecast for heavy rain tomorrow it will soon be washed away. Another few litres of fresh water saved as I won't be committing the sin of flushing urine with the precious liquid.
I reach Frampton after half an hour of The Who. The Bell Boy arrives at this fabulous RSPB reserve all newly born, my Biking Birder uniform and bike tells a volunteer and a staff member who I am. Simon, the RSPB staff member greets me like an old friend. Last year he helped me see a rare American white-rumped sandpiper here back last June. The volunteer, who's name I can't recall sorry, shakes hand as Simon tells me that he will tell Chris I am here.
Into the visitor's centre I buy myself a hot chocolate and a packet of chocolate raisins. I wonder how much profit the RSPB get from the small packet of the latter. I am sure they, and I would get a better deal if they bought much larger packets of chocolate raisins from Lidl and sold them at £1!
Simon comes on with Chris. I had totally forgotten that the brother of The Oracle, Phil Andrews worked here and the surprise has me laughing out loud.
Recently Phil has not only sent around 15 to 20 texts a day over birds ahead of me that I need to get but he has also started to add possible ten day itineraries to the comprehensive list of birds seen in the last week in the counties around me! Phil has two wonderful small boys and a beautiful wife. Where does he get the time? No matter, he is a vital cog in the professional team that is The Biking Birder.
Tree sparrows come to the feeder where there are already goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, yellowhammers, robin, blackbird and dunnock. The list grows by one.
As by now it is late afternoon I head for the 360 hide where a little ringed plover was seen earlier in the day. A barn owl flies over. How many of them have I seen in the last week? There are flocks of roosting dunlin and a sleeping ringed plover stays as that. No sign of the LRP, I leave the reserve and get to Boston. New bird for the year and target place reached despite the cold, and it has been very cold, and the strong wind in my face. Music kept me going!

So the year list is now at 181, which is still twenty four ahead of this time last year.


41.23 Miles 439 feet elevation up 454 feet elevation down

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