Saturday 8th October (The Coffin remained Empty but a Campaigner reached Camp Norton)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into the lightening sky as dawn was breaking. The tree had less leaves than yesterday. Now today Mr. Kite and his 'birding companion' had a job to do.

So at ten o'clock The Incapacitants set out with The Coffin. Why would The Incapacitants take a coffin anywhere? Because on Thursday they came across a dead buzzard on land where game shooting is prevalent. This made Mr. Kite suspicious so he contacted the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme who sent The Coffin with instructions so that the bird could have a post-mortem.

When The Incapacitants reached the poor buzzard they studied the bird and poked it before deciding that the bird 'was too far gone for any further tests'. So the box remained empty.

So the birding competition started and The Incapacitants went to Craven Arms to walk The Three Woods. Starting at The Secret Hills Centre The Incapacitants walked to the Onni as the sun shone brightly on the fabulous South Shropshire hills. The usual common birds were spotted before they entered the first wood and headed uphill to Camp Norton. Now Mr. Kite is a campaigner. It could be said he is an old campaigner and writes letters to further his whingeing. So what does he campaign about? Simply the breeding, rearing and releasing of common pheasants and red-legged partridge in the English Countryside. Approaching Camp Norton The Incapacitants came across a grotesque act of vandalism; a fenced off area with two million stupid pheasants strutting about. Enough said.

Camp Norton has impressive defences but that did not stop The Incapacitants from trespassing on the old fort. A very impressive place where a very impressive bird flew over; a red kite. The kite was flying low over the ground showing it's rich patterned wings in the sunshine. Soon another bird appeared on the ground. This was another menace a red-legged partridge; although colourful these birds are alien to England.

The Incapacitants continued their enjoyable walk watching three ravens do some acrobatics, a sparrowhawk clutching a little bird in it's talons, a flying greater-spotted woodpecker; never mind the grey herons feeding in a meadow near some rooks.

They continued the walk into the second wood. In this sheltered wood on the slope of a steep hill the air was calm and the sound of birds could be heard clearly. Listening to the songs The Incapacitants located babblers, blackbirds, a goldcrest, two marsh tits, a nuthatch, four chaffinch and some goldfinches.

The pace of the walk was slowing as the interest increased. So The Incapacitants walked back to Craven Arms arriving later than planned but pleased with the day. The competition was a draw. Mr. Kite went home for a tipple of Becks. Cheers from a campaigner who reached Camp Norton.