HERON

Yesterday was a bit of a non starter for me, aching a little from a bit of a sightseeing hike the day before I decided a day catching up on some work would fill the day till itunes brought me my suscribed Iain Lee wireless show. I listened to the podcast and watched a couple of sitcoms before retiring for bed.

Saturday - 'soccer am', breakfast in bed, caffiene - what could be better? Someone to make the breakfast for me, possibly?
That's all nice, but I had plans today, and didn't want to leave it too late to get a move on, I did need to visit the supermarket it's kind of a difficult task with no transport, and a total waste of a day without transport. I decided that another trip to the countryside was what I wanted to do, it was a beautiful day and inspired my decision. there was still a little frost left over from the overnight layer of snow, and still a little cold and breazy but not as bad as Thursday, besides I wore warmer clothing this time.

Where I walk , although countryside, and open spaces, you are visible a lot of the time from nearby homes, which makes it difficult to take photographs, that's why it is best going to a nature reserve or something similar if you want to take photos without awkwardness, and you'll always be sure of wildlife, especially wildlife you may not get to see close to home. when I do wander into the countryside I like spotting birds and wildlife that I certainly don't see near my home very often, finches, long tailed tits, it seems a little more natural, I don't know why, but you get the feeling that it shouldn't be there, and when it is, and you can see it, it can be a thrill. As apposed to a nature reserve, where you'd expect wildlife to be there and to be visible. You can still get a buzz from nature reserves though, spotting something you didn't expect to be there for example.
As I came to the end of the main country walkway, I was a little dissapointed that I hadn't gotten any photo's mainly due to my obvious presence from nearby homes. Once the leaves grow and start thickening, it will make a good barrier of cover.
After resting on it for ten minutes, to reflect and try and get a photo of the sonbirds on the hedgerows around me, which I didn't, I made my way through the turnstile.
I decided to take a different route home, I could always call at the small shop later on, there were plenty of hedgerows full of birdsong, but people now occupy the newly developed homes directly behind them, so my camera could not come out.

I had to get my camera out to take a shot of the wetland opposite. A grey heron was feeding there, which was a great thrill to see, I didn't manage to get sharp photos of it though in a grey heron (ardea cinerea) feeding on a frog my hurry to snap it before it flew away, and it did shortly after.
It flew over to the fields I 'd just come from, I went back through the turnstile, but it flew back over to the wetland I followed it but it was too far away to photo, it flew back over again, I went back through the turnstile, I couldn't see it, I walked for half an hour past a large bed of reids, it was very marshy, perfect location but no sign of it. I did find a couple of its feathers hanging off the reids, so it must have been there.
I reckon it was on its way to a more open and unspoilt by housing wetland. I'll check again in a couple of days. Not since the waxwings from feb 05 that stayed for a couple of weeks have I seen anything that interesting locally (within sensible walking distance). I did catch sight of the waxwings in dec 05 but only for a day.

I managed to get over to the supermarket (walked!) later. spent 2 hrs housework when I got back. watched some spanish soccer.




DIVING -
It's the weekend again, soccer in every country across the globe. All I'll say is should they really let x-english-pro's loose to commentate on "foreign" games, played in "foreign" lands, with "foreiners". It's a dissaster waiting to happen.