Wednesday 11th January (A Sunny Start without a Spanish Sparrow)


Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window into a bright winter sky with some small thin white clouds. Two fat wood pigeons inspected the end of a large branch that had been pruned looking for a suitable place to build a nest. A male chaffinch move inquisitively along the trees stopping occasionally to peck a twig or branch. Soon this bird was joined by another who also pecked at the branches.

Carrion crows and starlings flew over before a greenfinch and mistle thrush landed in the top of the tree.

To Venus Pool


With the sun shining on this mild winters morning Mr. Kite oiled The Beast and rode along the country lanes towards venus Pool. The light was more intense than a week ago; spring was in the air. Jackdaws, carrion crows and doves were making plans for the new season. Mr. Kite scanned the fields, hedges and trees. A large flock of fieldfare and redwing took off from a field followed by some lapwings. Overhead common buzzards flirted by gliding, rolling and making contact with each other in flight.

Just past Cound Stank a bright male yellowhammer sat on top of a hedge looking more like a canary in the sunshine. The water level in V.P. had risen slightly and plenty of mallards, teals and shoveler swam, sat or sleeped. On one of the new mounds of earth a common snipe prodded it's long bill into the soft mud. In the sunshine its brown camouflage was highlighted by some warm cream stripes.

The Trout Pool


Mr. Kite then went to look at the Trout Pool; if it can still be called the Trout Pool. In the middle of the pool about fifty canada geese floated about, tufties 'ducked and dived', coots paddled along and at least five little grebes fed as a group in the far corner. With the wind increasing and the ripples on the water rising Mr. Kite headed to Monkmoor Lagoon.

Monkmoor Lagoon

To cut a long story short The Lagoon was fairly quiet. One grey heron, about thirty mallards and about twenty teals made use of the water. Mr. Kite searched the reeds and surrounding for other signs of life hoping for a bittern or a water rail; no such luck.

Now Mr. Kite put on his radio and listened to the news where the big story was that a spanish sparrow was sitting in Hampshire being watched by twitchers galore. Mr. Kite had a big decision to make: "Should he take The Beast down to Hampshire on a two hundred miles twitch?"

Looking at the clouds and the state of The Beast Mr. Kite decided to return home for a tipple of Tetley tea following a good day watching birds. Cheers from Mr. Kite. Perhaps the spanish sparrow will fly north to save Mr. Kite cycling south.