11 April
0853 - My train arrives back in Thetford
0910 - I plunge into the murky delights that are the Little Ouse near the town centre in a futile attempt to rescue a drake Goosander with copious amounts of discarded fishing line (and float!) in its beak
0930 - I arrive in work, pleased to find that the BTO staff sightings list is devoid of grippage from my week-long absence
1245 - First post-holiday walk down to the flood / meadow on 'my' side of the Nunnery Lakes reserve to check for waders and Ring Ouzel (several of latter on the coast today)
1508 - BirdGuides reports 2 Ring Ouzels at a site we'll call Fort Knox Heath (barred wire, electric fence, multiple 'Get off my laaaand' signs, double-yellows, CCTV(!) and on yesterday evening's motorised reccy, a copper!!)
1930 - No sign of Ring Ouzel(s) - apparently chased off by a Missile Thrush at 1745 - and decision made that it just isn't worth cycling into oblivion on the A11 in the Thursday morning rush hour (a combination that would make cycling in Abu Dhabi look like a gentle stroll in the Mushref Palace Gardens, as I'm sure Oscar will concede)
12 April
0618 - A colleague's husband finds Whimbrel on afore-mentioned flood, 620m from my front door
0740 - My alarm goes off, and a text message alerts me to the above
0746 - No sign of Whimbrel
0903 - Open my email to find:
"Two Whimbrel north calling, over housing estate immediately east of Barnham Cross Common at 06.43, presumably having just left the flood." That'll be the housing estate where my house is, then.
Percentage of target to date - 78%
Distance cycled - 235.2mls / 378.5km
Latest addition - Willow Warbler (121) 1 Apr (NOT Whimbrel, as it would be if life was fair)
No comments:
Post a Comment