Sunday 7th August (Promises, Wind and some Hot Air)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a blue sky with some white fluffy clouds. Today the Swifts seemed to have flown back to Africa. Mr. Kite looked into the trees and saw that the wind was quite strong but Mr. Kite was going bird-watching today.

So in the breeze Mr. Kite headed to Venus Pool where hopefully an odd migrant might be resting. At Venus Pool the birds were resting. A gulp of thirty Cormorants sat on an island alongside an equal number of motionless Mallards and lazy Lapwings. Grey Herons half-heartedly fished in the shallow water. However two energetic Greenshanks fed on the waters edge in preparation for their migratory trip. These elegant individuals had real long green shanks supporting a slim body with a white breast; streaky head and breast. The bill is slim and slightly upward pointing.

During this time two Lesser Black-backed Gulls dropped in to annoy the juvenile Black-headed Gulls that were enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. Mr. Kite then cycled slowly to Polemere to watch the waterfowl there. The birds here also considered that Sunday was for lounging around. In the adjacent field a large group of Greylag Geese sat on the grass nibbling at the juicy shoots. The Mallards sat on the mud and did nothing at all. A group of eight Shovelers floated around on the water. With the ducks resting their beaks o their backs and head turned around they all looked the same.

With showers developing it was time for Mr. Kite to go home. So with the wind behind him he soon reached Shrewsbury where he cycled through The Quarry along the river where a group of sixteen Goosander were having a Sunday afternoon fishing. Reaching home Mr. Kite had a tipple of Tetley tea. Cheers.