Thursday 7th July (Well and Truly Summer)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey cloudy morning. The trees that line the far side of the road were in full bloom and covered in dark leaves that moved this way and that way in the strong breeze. One lone Wood Pigeon cooed.

This was not like spring; the sky was darker and the dawn chorus had reduced to the occasional 'coo, coo, coo' of the Wood Pigeon. Even the Wood Pigeon could not be bothered to keep the song going and would fade out to silence in a most unenthusiastic manner.

This being an English Summer dull with the forecast of rain. A dull day start to the dull was made gloomier because Mr. Kite and His Lady planned to put flowers onto The Special Grave and another one nearby. So Mr. Kite thought about how to make the day brighter and more cheerful; perhaps just a spot of bird-watching.

Mr. Kite and His Lady visited St. Gregory the Great Church at Morville and tidied up The Special Grave and placed a bunch of Sunflowers on it. A Sunflower plant was growing on it and Goldfinches flew overhead whilst a 'gang of House Martins' harassed a Common Buzzard. A peaceful hour passed in quiet solitude.

Now whilst Mr. Kite might be the saddest man on the planet life has to go on. Today Mr. Kite was determined to watch birds so he entered the Church of Saint Gregory to watch two Swifts flying around the chancel, down the aisles and over the nave. Standing at the back of the church was The Verger armed with a 'landing net' trying to catch the flying torpedoes.

Having watched a Camden Council worker capture a Yellow Parakeet Mr. Kite was interested in the method used by a Church Verger to capture a Swift. Whereas The Parakeet Catcher was proactive with enticing orange slices The Swift Catching Church Verger stood still waiting for the Swift to fly near and then raise the 'landing net' and 'Bob's your Uncle'. Now Mr. Kite watched the method carefully looking for hints and tips on 'how to catch a Swift in the nave' but soon realised that this method was unlikely to succeed; so Mr. Kite and His Lady went back to The Dwelling.

Now Mr. Kite is a 'birder on a bike' so at six o'clock Mr. Kite took The Beast to Monkmoor Lagoon for a short bird-watching trip. The last time Mr. Kite visited The Lagoon was March. Since then the reeds had grown tall, the leaves on the trees had hidden the branches and most importantly the bird life was just a few Mallards and a Mute Swan. Watching Mallards in eclipse and a Mute Swan with it's head under the water does not take too long.

Anyway after an interesting hour Mr. Kite returned to The Dwelling for a Tetley tea. Cheers.