Tuesday 15th February (Not a Day to Sing too Loudly)

Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window to see grey sky and drizzle; just right for a funeral. In a sombre mood Mr. Kite put on his funeral attire, black shirt, trousers, ties and shoes. After a coffee he went with his lady to pick up the colourful spray of pink, white and red flowers.

They then drove to the Acton Arms at Morville to park the holiday home and go to a special grave. Mr. Kite was tempted by the sight of an open public house that sold Marston's beer. Now before his first drink Mr. Kite is sensible and does not make rash, or irresponsible decisions. So he looked in the pub made sure that he was in the right place and ambled up to the avenue of trees past Morville Hall to the Church of St. Gregory the Great and onto a special grave where the next grave had been prepared. The hole was dug and straw placed on the bottom. Green artificial grass covered the grave. The special grave was tidy but another yellow daffodil was placed upon it.

At eleven o clock the funeral started, the cortege walked slowly, the vicar said the prayers, the congregation sang quietly and then the coffin was buried. At the burial it was silent except for the vicar saying the prayers. The birds sat and watched and in the drizzle. Eventually the service was over and everyone went to the pub for sandwiches; and for Mr. Kite cups of tea.

At three thirty most of the sandwiches were eaten, the tea pot empty and the mourners left. Mr. Kite and his lady returned to the cemetery to look at the flowers and make sure the graves were tidy. This is when Mr. Kite did some bird watching. In the drizzle the song birds were very very quiet; perhaps out of respect for the situation or perhaps the drizzle. With flocks of Wood Pigeon flying over a Green Woodpecker could be heard in the nearby wood. This was a rapid powerful  drum on a dead tree. In the hedge a small flock of Long-tailed Tits moved through the middle of the hedge and Blue Tits moved along the top.

With an Easterly wind blowing a flock of about fifty Black-headed Gulls circled above moving in the air flow. Sometimes they banked on the port wing and some times to starboard so from below it took the shape of a figure eight. As the flock blew towards the West some birds broke away from the formation and returned to the East. After circling the gulls then flew in a straight line towards the West.

Mr. Kite then returned to his holiday home and drove home making one more stop on the way. Near the Riverside public house a herd of swans were in a field. This morning there were three species; the Mute, Whooper and a Black Swan. With darkness creeping on and the daylight decreasing Mr. Kite watched the swans. They had huddled together into two compact groups for safety and the larger birds seemed to be on the outside as a guard.

Mr. Kite returned home for a tipple of Green King Abbot Ale. Cheers after a long day. Now tomorrow Mr. Kite is traveling with his lady to East Anglia. Good health to a good trip.