Bookshops to start and a Redstart to finish..

A grey start to the day but so far no rain; today it was the turn of Hay-on-Wye for the first visit of the day.  It's an amazing town with a considerable number of bookshops - so of course it was necessary to have a browse around some of them.  We also noticed a notice suggesting the banning of Kindles..and an appropriate website to learn more about this..

The River Wye was incredibly swollen as a result of the recent (and continuing) heavy rain

Pete remarked that this was a small island.. not much evidence of that now that the water had risen about it.

Muscovy Ducks belonging to a house beside the river

and in true British spirit the window of one of the bookshops ..

Paddington Bear :D

So where to now?  Off to Croft Castle... and still the weather was holding...

Firstly some lunch of Tomato soup and a piece of cake - today's 'special' was lemon drizzle... we shared a slice and lovely it was too - highly recommended.  Apparently it was made by one of the young Sunday volunteers.. well, she was on the way to success it seems...

Chaffinches and Sparrows kept us company waiting for some crumbs..

A small lake and very still.. the reflected trees were interesting.  A family of 2 young Little Grebes and then a Spotted Flycatcher... that's a first for my year list!

Back to the tea shop for a drink and afternoon piece of cake: this time we had Lemon & Poppy Seed and Carrot cake... very nice again.

Off back to the hotel but a couple of spots enroute - both churches.  The first of which (at Shobden) was quite amazing.. never seen anything like it - it was, I was informed, in Strawberry Hill Gothick style.. a new one on me, but fascinating.

and our last stop was at Old Radnor church.. it was very quiet and we watched Buzzards high above.. one of which hovered then seemed to 'hang' in the sky before swooping down.. obviously having found something of interest.

We walked around the church then afterwards we watched the birds outside... and a lifer for me - Male and female Redstart.... great stuff and well spotted by Pete... :D

and finally back to our hotel in mid-Wales..and tomorrow.. we head north with the hope that the threatened rain stays well away.  Just the odd brief shower today.. we've been so lucky so far, considering what's been forecast and what other parts of the country have been suffering!