Big Bogey Removed

Well, the shitty signs as referred to in my last blast worked - NOT! This p.m., and the 'how many birds can my black Lab put up' challenge was again in full flow as the dog owner let her 'pride'n'joy' spoil my day. It's all getting a bit tedious! On a more positive note, after a barren drop-in at Arcot I was heading for N/landia and at the W end of the lane, turned to head N on the A1068. A large bird was heading S on the E side of the road and it's 'relaxed' flight was not indicative of the ubiquitous Common Buzzard. And as we crossed, the forked tail confirmed Red Kite. There are three bogey birds for me in Viet-Cram: Milvus milvus, Pandion haliaetus and Anthus trivialis. And now there are but two!

A Load O' Bollocks or a Stroke O' Genius?

You decide. Between 0700 and 2000 today, a mystery sign putteruper has worked his/her 'magic' at Wessie H. The first one appears on the public side of the green access gate.

So Barbara Wire is clearly a dangerous lady, her forename abbreviated as we can see. If they meant the fence to which the sign was attached, 'Barbed Wire' would have been correct! There'll be box sets of DVDs next instead of boxed sets!

Then on the gate, this. The only fly-tipping was years ago when the local travellers' site was a base to leave the odd hedge clipping and the famous bath. SHOCK UPDATE: THE BATH IS GONE! Then these:

Elves beware!

The gulls' knees might give the game away!

And again. And so to the title of this email - H&S gone well and truly mad OR cheap'n'cheerful signs that if they keep one anal sphincter on a horse or with a dog off the Flashes will have paid for themselves many times over?

Early Worm II

Wessie was freakin' freezin' this morning, albeit bright, clear and dry. The water held its usual gulls, the equally predictable warblers were in full voice too. A Grey Heron came in from the E and the gulls and a Lapwing lifted. Didn't think gulls feared herons to the extent they were up and off W towards the NIE. And then the real reason appeared and remained for a minute or so before it was off SW. Excuse the cold-handed, panic-ridden shots that barely hit the 'record' threshold:

I initially thought it was an adult F as with the naked eye there were light wing patches but the camera never lies so juvenile it is.

The Early Worm...

... catches the birds. Up'n'about at ten minutes past the early hour of 6am (I could get used to this 'no work' palava) and as usual, not a lot at Wessie H. Off to Arcot, and in line with the earlier venue, not a lot bar a few distant yaffles from the golf course. Beacon Lane next; was the Rouzel still there? If he was, he was having a lie-in and so not seen Just south of South Stream, in the wood to the west, the year's first Garden Warbler heard first ten seen (that saved a trek to the NW corner of Arcot!). And walking back, a 'Kestrel' dropped from a tree top and off west over the corn field. Except via the bins, this was not what it first appeared, but rather a Cuckoo that was lost from view near the far NW corner of the gold course. Nowt at N/landia so a flat finish to match the flat start.

Ring Irritation

Nope, not an add for Germaloids but two words to describe an hour on Beacon Lane this evening in pursuit of a male Ring Ouzel. First seen by 'Yours Truly' at 7pm in the horse paddock on the E side of Beacon Lane near South Stream , it 'disappeared' in the field's undulations and then for good. The other horse fields at the N end of the lane were checked by Mr McD and I and nowt, so back to the original location and after a few minutes, it rose from the ground into the top of a tree, pursued by a male Blackbird. And then chased from the tree onto the ground and so time for some sneaky, sneaky camera action. Into the field and a glimpse-ette as it was harried by a Magpie and another Blackbird and eventually into a a large Elder from which it never emerged (a closer look indicated it had gone south). So no snaps but a good time was had by all (well, me and Linds).

Two Ticks

Whilst putting the numerous ills of the world to rights this morning at Arcot with J Atkinson Esq, as well as four Common Terns, the year's first Swift. And then after a not-so petit dejeuner, taking the hound around the ground(s), we sallied forth past the end of Cheadle Avenue and today's Bank Holiday Bonus were two Lesser Whitethroats here A look on the 'back nine' and there was one to the west, in the hawthorns along the northern edge of Cramington Blue Star's car park off Crowhall Lane.