Monday 18th July (A White Plastic Chair at the Lagoon)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window. Surprisingly the sky was grey; the leaves on the Lime trees hung on to the twigs as the wind buffeted them backward and forward. The forecast was wind and rain but Mr. Kite would watch a few birds. An English summer is often grey, gloomy and wet but in the true English spirit this is something that does not prevent a determined Mr. Kite going bird-watching.

Following a leisurely morning Mr. Kite took The Beast to Monkmoor Lagoon. Under a grey sky the green trees stood out clearly against the skyline. Surrounding The Lagoon tall reed lined the water with pink and purple flowers showing interspersed with blue forget-me-nots. White Water lilies bobbed up and down as the breeze whipped up the waves that traveled from west to east.

Sand Martins flitted over the water before climbing steeply to clear the reeds, bushes and trees or dropped back down to return low over the surface. A Grey Heron flew over followed by Carrion Crows, Jackdaws and a Common Buzzard.

Scouring the reeds Mr. Kite noticed a white plastic chair on the edge of the water. Now after a visit to Italy, and the town of Pisa, Mr. Kite associates white plastic chairs with ladies that provide a service to male clients prepared to drop their trousers. In Italy young ladies sat on white plastic chairs by the roadside plying their trade. So Mr. Kite did not search the reed too thoroughly as he did not want to be labeled as a 'peeping Tom' if the occupant of the chair was engaged nearby with a male client.

However Mr. Kite was impressed by the camouflaged Mallards that were sheltering against the reeds from the cool breeze. At first they could not be spotted but looking more closely Mr. Kite counted more than thirty brownish blackish Mallards in eclipse.

With the sky looking more gloomy Mr. Kite returned to The Dwelling to enjoy a a warm tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers from Mr. Kite; beware the white plastic chair.