CHRISTMAS. (13/05/14)

It was damn chilly first thing with a touch of frost on the grass. No wind so not jacket or gloves weather. We had a grand walk watching distant Dippers, Common Sandpipers, gulls various and a lonely Pheasant.

Pheasants are daft birds. It actually walked up to the dogs, they were nonplussed and retreated. Brilliant. I should have got some video. I would have but I don’t have a video camera. By the time I’d got the 5D set up to shoot movies the encounter was over. The dogs were bemused as it wandered past on it’s way. They are so used to diving into undergrowth and hearing the pheasants wings clatter and it’s strident alarm call that I guess because it behaved like a domestic bird a domestic bird it was. They are dogs.

I did lose Molly when she was a month or two old. After an hours searching she emerged from under a goose’s wings with four goslings. The goose had, during her nap in the warm swum into the pond. Moll has been able to swim ever since. She comes to me in times of trouble but I wouldn’t say she is a loyal dog. Alf comes now to a whistle from me…Unless he is trying to catch a Red Deer.

That is an achievement in the training of any terrier……I should be at Crofts or Crufts. I may be. I’ll enter the West Highland Terrors class and learn them to jump through hoops and not run off to speak to other dogs, people, the ice cream man……No that would be a step too far. Not worth the effort just to see Birmingham.

As you may have gathered from the blather I missed the otters today. Nothing new there. I’ve had a bit of trouble with a Robin. So the last three days I’ve carried some suet pellets. He likes those. I’m perched on a wet log with my feet in water he now lets me enter his bit of river bank without kicking off a right racket. I sat for two hours waiting for an otter. Not a ripple on the water. But the Robin was almost a star. Here is the Robin. Not yet you fool I’m still cleaning up.

Does my bum look big in this? I’m saying nowt but no dear.

   Side view….Perfect, I told it.

   Front view. Front view with a twig. That’s art. I told her.

Even with an acquiescent bird like the Robin I manage to foul up or fowl up. It isn’t hand tame but does recognise me and follow me through the undergrowth to my otter watching log. It even sings above my head and only craps on my jumper now and again.

I have explained to the dogs they can’t come Ottering. They don’t mind if I tell them it’s a Supermarket job I’m on and I take them a walk when I get back.

Have fun. It’s hard being a birder. I’m half tempted to tackle a Lady again.