(0545hrs) The "dawn chorus" is almost finished by this time having gone a little earlier every morning, and all you are hearing by 0545hrs is a finishing off.
(1120hrs) Had a walk from Plain Quarry up to Trig and across "the roof and back".Very windy this morning and pointless trying to listen out for new Warblers. Did have a few Willow Warblers and Craig the Chiffchaff at Plain Quarry but everywhere else everything was quiet, no calling Tree Pipits, Meadow Pipits, Warblers anywhere other than already mentioned. Absolutely quiet... Did find some new sites for 3/4 there "Early Purple Orchids". Also lots of Wood Sorrell showing on the Roof along with hotspots of "primula". God willing, see what tomorrow brings.
SMART *** GETS THE WHISTLE….. (true story)
Smart *** has been seen again on his regular patch at Hutton Roof and guess what? He now has a story about the guy with a whistle, who had lost his wife. So the tale begins about 200 yards away from the Trig Point where Smart *** kept hearing a random loud pitched whistle going off intermittent, from somewhere in the direction of the Trig.
(Smart *** says) “good morning” to a man and women who had three or four dogs, and the couple were passing whilst on the narrow footpath, and wanted to stop and chat with smart ***
(The couple said) “ Well theres a guy up there at the Trig Point and he is very worried because he has lost his wife! He does seem distressed!
(Smart *** says), I thought I could hear distress whistles from way back. O Ek, I’ll dash along and see if there is anything I can do! Bye,
On reaching the Trig Point, there he is, sat down quite casually eating his butties and having a cup of coffee. But he did not seem too distressed, well not yet anyway…..
(Smart *** says), Hello, how are you?
(Man at Trig whos lost is wife says), OK I suppose, but I’ve lost the wife, we did not know which footpath to take, so she took the high road and I took the low, but its ages ago and god only knows where she is.
Smart *** says) I could hear you blowing the distress whistle from way back down there, (then jokingly, smart *** continued)… and I can honestly say it’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone calling in is wife with a whistle!
Smart *** (then back to serious talk, continues) “You know it might be better off if you blow your whistle with six loud intermittent calls, and then folk will take it more serious for a distress call!
(Man at Trig whose lost is wife says) But I don’t have a whistle! , the whistle you must have heard would be that couple who’s just passed with their dogs.
What a “nelly” Smart *** must have felt! Bye the way his wife did eventually turn up.
First dark-bellied this autumn
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Light rain pretty much all day. A fresher SW wind.
Just my stuff today (Malcolm)
*Saltmarsh *
I watched this morning's tide cover the saltmarsh
Common Snip...
2 hours ago