Thursday 26th January (January is nearing the End)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a grey sky. The clouds were high. Following a domestic morning Mr. Kite saddled The Beast at midday and set out to Venus Pool.

Venus Pool


With the sun peering fro behind the clouds Mr. Kite took the muddy country lanes to Venus Pool. Rooks were cawing in The Rookery as the renovated their nests. On the pool plenty of ducks were enjoying the January sunshine. Six shelduck kept their back end in the air as they fed. Wigeon and teal made a colourful sight as they fed in the shallow water. Mallards were gleaming as they courted the mottled brown females as a male shoveler showed his orangy red legs to anyone looking.

Mr. Kite scanned the duck carefully trying to pick out other species but could not find any. Three mute swans sailed around the pool. Today the pool was a haven for bird-watching duck fans.

Mr. Kite grows wings


On the return trip Mr. Kite cycled along in the sunshine passing hedges, trees and roadside plants. Looking down on one occasion Mr. Kite realised that he had grown wings from his head. A gliding common buzzard was superimposed onto the shadow of Mr. Kite giving him a pair of wings extending from his head. For fifty yards Mr. Kite looked like an ancient warrior with his wings, and was indeed a splendid sight. Eventually the great gliding graceful bird turned away leaving Mr. Kite flapless.

The River Severn


Arriving back in the town Mr. Kite took a little ride along the river to watch mallards, pied wagtails, black-headed gulls, goosander and moorhens. Soon Mr. Kite was enjoying a tipple of Tetley tea following a pleasant afternoon watching birds. Cheers to the common buzzards who made Mr. Kite fly.