Thursday 17th March (Spring is not completely Sprung)

Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into the half-light. The tree trunks imaged the orange light from the street lamp and the branches were black against the cloudy sky. Looking along the tree lined road Mr. Kite could see that all the trees were mushroom shaped; they had a single thick straight tall trunk and a bare canopy shaped like a mushroom. Over the years these trees have been skillfully managed and pruned to keep their symmetrical mushroom shape. All the trees are about ten metres tall; taller than Mr. Kite's three storey house. They are equally spaced about eight metres apart. However Mr. Kite needs to find out the species of these trees.

Today Mr. Kite looked into the trees for life. The trees did not show any sign of new growth and there were not any birds perched in them. Looking closely Mr. Kite could see flat layers of twigs arranged in a circular shape; from experience Mr. Kite knew that these were the old nests of Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves. On this spring morning the only bird life on display was a Robin that sat on the humpy part of The Joint's roof. This inquisitive feathered friend had come to look inside Mr. Kite's front living room. In this world of give and take; Mr. Kite looks out for bird life and the birds look in at Mr. Kite's life.

Today Mr. Kite was cycling to Polemere and then to Monkmoor Lagoon to look for Sand Martins. Before Mr. Kite set off he had listened to the Radio Shropshire news where there was a report that anglers in Bridgnorth wanted a cull of Cormorants along the River Severn because the number of Dace and Roach supposedly had declined recently and the Cormorant was seen as the culprit. So Mr. wrote an e-mail to the local radio in their defence.

At ten o'clock Mr. Kite adjusted the saddle on The Beast and cycled towards Polemere via Shrewsbury Quarry. The Daffodils were in bloom; flower blossom had emerged on Cherry Trees and Hawthorn. Spring was springing along. With many trees still bare Mr. Kite stopped to look at a Magpie's nest for signs of life. The Magpie's nest is a spherical structure, about thirty centimetres diameter, made from twigs. At this nest there was no sign of life but the Rooks a little further along the road were sitting, with their heads protruding, on their cup shaped twig structures woven into the tops of the trees. Mr. Kite noted how the Magpie's nest was a solitary nest whilst the Rooks had a colony of about fifty nests; why?

Mr. Kite reached Polemere in pleasant warm sunshine and looked for Sand Martins skimming over the water that a variety of ducks were sitting on. In the sunshine the spring plumage of Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Goosander was stunning; but Mr. Kite could not see any Sand Martins. Spring had not yet sprung at Polemere.

Before Mr. Kite continued his journey to Monkmoor Lagoon he sat at the picnic table near the hide at Polemere and listened to his radio. Mr. Kite's e-mail was read out defending the Cormorant along the banks of the River Severn as the culprit that has reduced stock of Dace and Roach. His first line of defence is that before the Cormorant is blamed for eating the Dace and Roach research needs to be carried out to verify what effect the Barbel has had on the eco-system of the River Severn since it was introduced into the river nearly fifty years ago. Fishermen welcomed the introduction of specimens extracted from Berkshire's River Kennet because these strong voracious bottom feeding monster would provide good coarse fishing because of their powerful fight when hooked. At the time early environmentalists warned against the idea citing the introduction of the Nile Perch into Lake Victoria and the damage they did to the native fish stocks. Mr. Kite being a youngster did not fully understand that point of view but he did object to their introduction on the grounds that anglers used Plumrose Luncheon Meat as bait for the Barbel and the young Mr. Kite was concerned in case the Barbel ate all the Plumrose Luncheon Meat that he enjoyed on a sandwich with Colman's Mustard from a tube.

In the pleasant warm air Mr. Kite casually rode along country lanes and tracks. On route Mr. Kite met a fellow birder; the Birder with a Boy had a chat for a few minutes before Mr. Kite continued slowly to Monkmoor Lagoon stopping occasionally listen, look and investigate a flitting bird.

Mr. Kite reached the lagoon and searched for Sand Martins in vain. But Mr. Kite knows that very soon Sand Martins will be skimming over the lagoon water from the colony that will reside in a nearby muddy bank. So Mr. Kite has concluded that spring is still springing in some parts of Salop.

With the clouds developing and a chilly wind blowing Mr. Kite returned home to enjoy a tipple of Owl'd Speckled Hen. Cheers and a good health of all Cormorants until proved guilty of fish theft from Mr. Kite.