Much Better

The weekend had rolled around and with the plague receded to a pesky cough it was time to get out and enjoy myself.

What to do, what to do?

Default position applies - I spent the day wandering around Vitifer. :)

T'Moor was shrouded by dark and threatening clouds, promising sogginess to any who ventured near, but what the hell, thought I. Though the low cloud was near fog on the way up - I had my headlights on as I passed an assembling horde of Happy Hikers at Cold East Cross - the clouds had lifted by the time I got to Bennett's Cross. Lifted up and away to the point of sunnyness, even. I very nearly quoted poetry to describe wandering around there all alone; just me and the birds. Some of the birds weren't as alone as they'd like - one poor innocent Cuckoo being mobbed here there and everywhere by demented Mipits!

The Whinchats are thoroughly back, with [after some messing around] gorgeous views of great birds. Hold on a sec... Ah, it works either way. For once, the Redpoll were in better form than the Siskin, with some super-showy males displaying right overhead :) A male Redstart even sat and posed for me - I even got the li'l scope on him. For all of seven seconds, but that's not bad for a Redstart.

Both valleys were given a thorough going over, though birding being what it is, a bunch of Robin strokers group of less serious birders saw twice as many Wheatears in one than I did in both put together... The Goddess of Birding likes to keep us humble, you know.

I did find a very nice Spot Fly, sat atop a Willow calling repeatedly. If it hadn't been for Hope's Nose, I'd have been raving about the best views I've ever had. Spot Flies being usually well up trees, hearing them is a treat, especially hearing them well. Over at Sousson's, one particular Tree Pipit also got in on the act, parachuting repeatedly at close range and not winding me up by mimicking a Bee-eater...

It was something I've missed, something I definitely needed - just ambling around. I carefully picked my way up among the Bluebells to see what might come by. A Cuckoo along the slopes or maybe a Kite above them? One lunch later there had been neither - only Blackbirds and a Mipit - but the Bluebells were lovely.