Monday 28th March (A Close Call)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window onto a grey sky and a misty morning. The bulbous growths on the end of the twigs were larger and each individual bud was visible. Today Mr. Kite and his Birding Companion were off for a birding competition.

Now Mr. Kite keeps thinking about what phrase should be used to start a bird-spotting competition. A game of bingo is easy; 'eyes down, look in'. Mr. Kite thought that, 'Eyes open, look around', was a start but he now thinks not. So Mr. Kite is trying, 'Look, listen and watch'. At ten o'clock The Incapacitants guestimated the number of species that would be spotted.

Just after ten o'clock it was game on, 'Look, listen and watch'. Now within seconds of the start a Sparrowhawk sped through the air just above the road and suddenly went up and under the eaves of the next house. With it's wings flapping rapidly it trapped a House Sparrow under the eaves. So there was the noise of the flapping of the hawk's wing, the banging as it tried to grasp it's victim and the distressed chirp of the frightened House Sparrow. For about five seconds The Incapacitants watched a battle of life and death for the House Sparrow. Eventually the spadger escaped and flew over a hedge with a fast flying hawk in hot pursuit and out of sight. Was it a close call for the sparrow; or was it a meal for the hawk?

The Incapacitants then cycled away for a days birding. To cut a long story short they looked, listened and watched forty six species of birds; the competition was a draw. They had a good cycle ride, walked around fields and woods, spoke to a few other bird-watchers. The Incapacitants listened to a Chiffchaff and then spent about three minutes locating it. The most colourful bird spotted was a male Brambling with a black head. The Incapacitants went home after a great day out when the sun shone brightly and warm in the afternoon.

After putting The Beast into the shed Mr. Kite sat in his garden and had a tipple of Tetley tea. Cha from Mr. Kite who watched colourful birds, hungry birds and lucky birds. Life is a close call.