Summer Afternoon

Summer afternoon- summer afternoon; to me those have been the most beautiful words in the English language

~Henry James~

Today in the car at about 1pm was 34C. It was hot, hot, hot. We nipped into Asda for shopping and as usual a quick browse at the clothes and came out with a red/white stripe long dress. Just nice for summer but I’ll wear it with either a red or white shrug. I hated bare arms. After filling our basket with bread, bananas, mushrooms, Chinese snacks, butter and coleslaw, we headed home. As usual when the sun is out, drivers tend to get crazy on the road. It’s just ridiculous.

Babe took of the top of the car to take advantage of the lovely day. We went to our favourite playground to get some fresh air and top up our tans :-). At the dipping pond, we stood in silence and observed the Great Crested Newt floating lazily. We’d a wonderful surprise when a newt tadpole appeared near to the surface. This was the first time we saw a tadpole in the pond.

We walked past wild raspberry bushes dotted with ripened berries. The hot weather had resulted in the berries ripening earlier and I couldn’t help picking here and there. They were so delish and very sweet. Hmm…I must remember to leave some for the natives. As we continued walking, Babe showed me a wasp nest near the path. We could see the paper-thin nest and the wasps busy at work. We hurried off quickly when a few wasps started flying out. Better not be standing in their path.

We checked out Baldwin Hide and saw the terns shielding their chicks underneath them. An Oyster Catcher flew briefly on the island beside the hide. We also spotted Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwings, Cormorants, Greylags and Canada Geese.  We continued towards East Marsh Hide and checked out the islands in front of us. Most of the natives were having a siesta in the humid, hot afternoon. I felt like joining them. I ‘m very uncomfortable in this heat. We were about to head home when this handsome Muntjac appeared from the bushes on the opposite bank. My oh my, my first sighting this year. All you could hear was our cameras rattling away. After we got our fix, it was time to head home.      

Yesterday, we spent the whole day at Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. I think this might be our last trip this year as we planned to check out the other reserves in Martin Mere and Welney. We hoped to see if there were any chicks from the exotic birds. As we walked along the Swan Lake, we saw hundreds of Swallows flying low along eaves and roofs of the visitor centre. When we looked up, we saw this gorgeous pair of eyes looking down at us.

We walked towards the hides because I wanted to check out the summer walkaway leading towards the River Severn estuary. Off course we just had to stop and check out the hides. We were so delighted to see a pristine Little Egret feeding along the mudbanks near the Robbie Garnett hide.

Then we continued towards our destination. We’d to hurry because we have to be back before 5pm. It was a long 15 minutes walk in the heat  to reach Middlepoint. Along the route, birdsongs accompanied us. When we arrived, this was the view that greeted us. As far as the eye can see, the River Severn estuary. We spotted Shelducks and Curlews feeding on the mudflats in the horizon. It was hard to imagine that the famous bore rushes inwards from here. I wished we could have our lunch in this camper van which was used as a bird hide. It was quite funny to see a rusting camper van in the middle of nowhere. When we checked it out, it was very comfortable inside,. Unfortunately, we had to rush back before the entrance shut. We spotted a buzzard riding the waves as we got closer towards the main area.

We were amazed to see some very strange looking birds. They looked familiar but … As we got closer, we realised that they were experiencing the eclipse plumage.  After breeding, ducks moult  which was a process where the old, worn-out feathers were replaced with new ones. For about a month, they can't fly and were very vulnerable to predators.  This was also why they tend to stay close together. To provide protection, particularly for the brightly-coloured males, the moult starts with their bright body feathers. These were then replaced by dowdy brown ones, making them look much like females. Once the flight feathers have re-grown, they moult again, and by October the full colours were back and the various species of ducks were easily recognisable once more. We’d a wonderful time trying to identify some really very tatty looking ducks. Who would believe that this was a Smew!!!

We had a lovely surprise when we spotted the Greater Flamingos with their gangly chicks. Some were still sitting on their mud nests, keeping their eggs warm. It was heart-warming to see how protective the parents were with their chicks. The adults form a protective ring around them. We would have stayed longer but the pong was just unbearable. How on earth such a graceful, pink bird live here was beyond us. We continued walking and saw other ducks, some with chicks and lots of juvenile Nenes. It was wonderful to see these rare Nenes doing very well. We thought we’d seen everything in the reserve when Babe came across something that he’d never seen before. I went to see what had spooked Him. OMG, what was this??? It was a Toulouse goose and from the name, originated from Toulouse in France. This was the breed most used for the production of foie gras. Something which I will never eat.

After about 4 hours, it was time to call end the day. On the way home, we’d a quick stop at a lay-by to check out the Slimbridge canal. We always wanted to check this place but there was no place to park. We dribbled over the narrow-boats and motorboats moored along the canals :-). We did think of living the simple life in a narrow-boat but where on earth am I going to store my shoes, Babe’s numerous cameras and our books…

When we arrived back to Coventry, we decided to buy fish and chips for dinner. We then drove to a casa that we were hoping to rent. Yes, we were back to casa-hunting again. We’d received a letter from our landlord and he wanted his casa back. Although we have 6 months left, we want to leave before we were pushed. It was in an ok area, only a bus-ride to the university and about an hour walk. It has a garden for me and a garage for Babe. We were supposed to see it earlier in the day but the appointment was cancelled because the tenant wasn’t informed.

During the week, I’d to take the bus home on the evening of the summer solstice.

“As the sun spirals its longest dance, Cleanse us. As nature shows bounty and fertility. Bless us. Let all things live with loving intent. And to fulfill their truest destiny."

~From a Wiccan blessing~

Summer solstice was sometimes referred to as Midsummer Day. It was the longest day of the year and the amount of daylight only goes down from here. It was also the meteorological start of summer. A time to enjoy holidays, beaches, festivals, bbqs and fingers-crossed more sun. So lets get our hair down, get some fresh air and top up the tan. Summer can disappear in a flash.

Summer is a promissory note signed in June, its long days spent and gone before you know it, and due to be repaid next January.

~Hal Borland~

I was browsing the BBC website reading the news about the gatherings on Monday night/Tuesday morning at Stonehenge. Did you see the photos? What saddened me was the disrespect shown towards these ancient sites. Religious or not, people should not climb these stones or drop litter. There were rare lichen on these stone and as well as shielding the stone from the ravages of weathering, it had been protecting some prehistoric carvings. No one have total proof of what they were used for but it must have been a place to meet and celebrate. The Solstice and the time of year means many things to many people and should be allowed to remain so.

On Friday, we popped into Brandon Marsh after work. It was raining and we quickly dashed towards Carlton Hide. As usual, the whitethroats were active in the rain, busy hunting for food. A pair of Green Sandpipers flew in and were busy also feeding on the mudbanks. Nothing appeared from the Barn Owl box. They can’t hunt in the rain because their plumage was not waterproof. A Kingfisher made a brief appearance. But the highlight was this juvenile Moorhen’s behaviour. We think it had a neurological problem because it tends to walk backwards from time to time. This will make it very vulnerable to predators.

We left when the rain had a brief stop. We dashed back to the car before the heavens opened again. Hmm…This felt familiar. Rain and summer…Fingers-crossed we are going to have more warm summer afternoons. But at least, I don’t have to water the garden :-).

Below are the gorgeous Shelduck chicks vowing the visitors at Slimbridge. There were hundreds of them.

Beeing Busy

It has been a very busy week. I feel like the thousands of worker bees flying about, flower hopping and dancing in the sun, in search of nectar. There were just too many things to do, not enough hours in the day and not enough days in a week.

“We're all busy little bees, full of stings, making honey day and night, aren't we honey?”

Bette Davis (American actress, 1908-1989)

 

The escapee was still out and about, minding his own business. I was so pleased to see him again and Babe took a video of the adorable parakeet feeding on the ground. We thought that the magpies might have attacked him but they seemed to leave him alone. Babe sent e-mail and a photograph to the Parrot Society’s lost and found page. It is an Amazon parrot. We hoped that his owner will be found ASAP. My department had  a meeting  to brainstorm ideas for the next Staff Open Day gathering. We had to give a presentation about what we do, AGAIN!!! I was thinking of doing a demonstration of what happened if we don’t do anything. That will really shock everybody as no one will be able to find anything. Hmm… that sounds fun, but I guess I have to tone things down a bit :-)

All my colleagues contributed, throwing fantastic ideas and it was a hard to pick one. Finally, we agreed upon the title “Finding Tom Jones”!!! What, why, who??? Well, Tom Jones can be the Welsh singer, a title of a film, an author by that name or perhaps the book written by Henry Fielding. We provide a class number for the books so that users can find it on the shelf or in the catalogue. Do users want the latest edition or a translation? Is the book available or on loan?

We do the magic stuff behind the scene so that users can get their hands on the right book as quickly as possible. Just imagine if we switch off the catalogue. How on earth can anyone locate anything? Yes, you can browse the shelves but we have 5 floors with 1million books. Good luck with that. We continued our discussions by using the hi-tech facilities of the Teaching Grid. The only problem was we’d to pin our presentations on a board!!!

It had been quite stressful at work that Babe and I decided to release some steam at our favourite playground. And we weren’t alone. The car-park was nearly full. There must be a function or an evening talk going on. Why aren’t we invited??? The natives were beginning to settle down for the night. It was quite quiet and we headed straight to Carlton Hide where Babe had a lovely view of the Barn Owl outside its box and also of it quartering over the golf course. I was so jealous and hoping to see him again. As usual it was a no-show. This was the elusive owl that failed to appear.

At least, the Cuckoo made an appearance. We could hear the call echoing through the reserve and was very excited as it got closer. It settled on its favourite perch and continued calling. They will be flying back to Africa in July and August. Their youngsters would be leaving a month or so later and the reserve will be silent again.

Apart from the Cuckoo, a Redshank and a Common Sandpiper flew in for a late supper. They were continuously chasing each other as they were feeding on the mudbanks. The whitethroats with their jerky display flights and urgent chatter were also out and about, hunting something juicy for supper. We left when it was too dark to take any photographs. Bonn nuit and sweet dreams.

  HR and I planned to have lunch at Fusion Bar to celebrate her birthday. I’d to cancel it and we planned to have a belated lunch in July, after she returned from her holiday. I’d to take the afternoon off to check out a house that our landlord wants us to move in. He owns 10 houses in the cul-de-sac and he was selling all of them, one at a time. Two have been sold, one has a for sale sign and our casa will be next. He wanted us, as we were brilliant tenants, to move to another house, in another estate that he owned.

We went into the city centre to get the keys. Babe waited in the car while I rushed in to the estate agent’s office. There was a communication breakdown somewhere where the estate agent had to call my landlord to confirm that I was to collect the keys. We went to collect the keys from another staff and he wasn’t there!!! He has the key to the keys. WTF…I told them that I couldn’t wait as it was my lunch break and Babe’s parked on double yellow lines. We will be in touch.

What a waste of our time. I was thinking of getting back to work but Babe persuaded me to chill out and enjoy the day. We’d a serunding sandwich and changed into our camouflaged gear. We were going to check out another playground, Ufton Fields, a nature reserve near Leamington Spa. We don’t know why our chatty tree frog aka sat. nav. took us through Kenilworth instead of using the the M40. Then we drove through Leamington Spa road-works during the lunch hour. It was really challenging but we finally made it.

The reserve car-park was full of mums pushing push-chairs. It must be a mum-and-toddler day. We were greeted with the mewing cry of a buzzard but we were sheltered by the lush vegetation. It was a lovely oasis, created from an old limestone quarry with a glorious diversity of grassland, scrub, woodland and wetland with large and small pools. We followed the mostly, flat circular, way-marked surfaced footpath, accompanied by a symphony of bird-songs, heard but not seen.

We walked through woodlands that contained hybrid poplar, grey alder and conifers, with small numbers of native species such as oak and elm. It was very dark as we passed under the canopy of trees. Ufton Fields was noted for its calcareous, species-rich grassland that produces colourful displays of meadow flowers. We didn’t walk through the meadows because the weather was turning and we didn’t want to get our camera wet. But I managed to get photographs of the Common Spotted Orchids. There were hundreds of them.

We left as the rain got heavier. Will we come again? I don’t think so. It was a very small reserve, and it took us less than 2 hours to walk around it. There were several bird-hides overlooking tiny pools but nobody was at home. But it was a tick on our list of nature reserves in Warwickshire. We made a pit stop at Leamington Spa because babe wanted to get a water-proof cover for our camera. I waited in the car and was entertained by this juvenile Song Thrush fighting with its meal.

On Thursday, Babe gave me a lift to my Zumba classes. I’d missed 2 classes and I knew I’m going to play follow the leader. It was raining and not many were present. Apart from the usual routines, the instructor introduced us to a new routine. We’d a good laugh because we looked like dancing chickens. After an hour of good fun, it was a long painful  dawdle back to the casa. My legs were like jelly

We ended the week with another evening trip to Brandon Marsh. The car-park was blissfully empty. We checked out the bird-feeder beside the visitor centre and was greeted by a  juvenile woodpecker. We spotted another one flying nearby. It was lovely to see them enjoying a late supper.

We continued our walk and stopped at Baldwin Hide. As usual, the natives were getting ready for the evening. A Moorhen was still sitting on her nest and all the terns were making use of the nesting pontoons. On the main island, the Oystercatcher,  Little-Ringed Plover and Lapwing chicks were out and about, still feeding on the mudbanks. It was lovely to see them reaching adulthood. Along the path towards East Marsh Hide, we saw this Peacock caterpillars feeding on the nettle bushes.

We dashed quickly to Carlton Hide as it began to drizzle. We’d a good time observing a juvenile heron practising hunting for food. Then the piece de resistance, a kingfisher, flew in and perched on the stick right in front of the hide. All you could hear was our cameras rattling away. I was ventilating with excitement as this was my first sighting in Brandon this year. The handsome bird didn’t disappoint us as he gave a few poses. Thank you.   

On Saturday, I attended a day-school at the university. I know, I know…I should be chilling out but it was too good to miss. I attended a module on “Butterflies and Moths of Open Grassland” and the tutor was David Brown, the Warwickshire County Moth Recorder. I had it for free because as university staff, we were given learning vouchers which we could use for courses conducted by the Centre of Lifelong Studies. I’d taken attended quite a few day-schools so far.

I attended the class to learn to identify the species reliant on grassland habitat and gain knowledge of their specific food-plants, life histories and habitat requirements. As a nature lover, I took a lot of photographs of Lepidoptera and a better understanding of them will be a bonus. The field visit to a calcareous grassland site won me over, too:-). We were supposed to visit the site after lunch, but the tutor decided to do it early in the day as the weatherman predicted a rainy afternoon.

We drove through the lovely countryside under sunny blue skies and sudden cloud bursts. Our destination was Yellow Land Nature Reserve at Bishops Ichington and like the name, the sun came out and everything was yellow. This was because the site of a former limestone quarry supports the Kidney vetch which was the sole food for the rare and declining Small Blue (Cupido minimus) butterfly.

This butterfly is Britain’s smallest resident butterfly. It was often overlooked due to its diminutive size and its choice of habitat. The Kidney Vetch was its only sole food plant and were only found on calcareous grasslands and well-drained chalky soils.  The larvae live only in the flower heads whey they fed on developing anthers and seed. This nature reserve therefore carries a high conservation status.

Here we learnt about the habitat and as we treaded carefully among the meadow, our tutor went fishing. It was amazing to see him swish and swash his net and he always managed to catch something. He put his catch into a container and explained to us how to identify the butterflies. We were introduced to the Meadow Brown, Meadow White, Small Heath, Common Blue, Small Blue, Large Skipper, Ringlet, Cinnabar, Yellow Shell, Narrow-Bordered 5-Spot Burnett and Pyransta Aurata (micro). We were amazed to see such a huge haul in such a small place. After about 2 hours, it was time to get back to the classroom.

When we arrived, a picnic await us. After a wonderful lunch of sandwiches, fruits, crisps and cupcakes, we continued our lessons. We watched slides of key grasslands in Warwickshire for Lepidoptera and learnt to identify significant species and gain knowledge of their specific food-plants, life histories and habitat requirements. After being exposed to all these, I couldn’t wait to be out and about and test my new-found skills. I would also like to thank Jo for giving me a lift home.

Sunday was spent chilling out at home. But I did nipped into Next to see if my black shoes was in stock. Guess what??? I was hunting for the perfect black court shoes for a long time, and today there was 3 different type available. The worst thing was that I like all of them. I sashayed on the carpet trying them on. I managed to narrow down to 2. and finally chose the 5 cm ‘safe and boring’ leather shoe, perfect for work for £28. But I think, I’ll be returning soon to get the very sexy 7cm heels which costs £26. I guess better start saving for that :-)

It was also Fathers Day. I called my father to wish him a wonderful Father’s Day. I count my blessings that my parents are still with me. I wished that we lived closer so that I could do more for them. I had always thought I would be able to look after them in their twilight years, but alas…I do the best that I can from 3k away. These Paul’s Scarlet Roses, now blooming gloriously from the garden, are for you Abah.

"I'm so lucky as can be, the world's greatest Dad belongs to me."

~Unknown~

It had been a busy week for me and I hoped that life is as sweet as honey for you.

Chakka, Chakka, Chakka Week

Have you watched Popstar to Operastar? I’m no fan of reality tv but I tuned in to watch Joe McElderry, the winner of 2009 X-Factor taking part. I really like Joe and it was very unfortunate that his career failed to get off the ground. I would love to see and hear more from him. I guess this was the next opportunity for him to put his talents back on track and didn’t he do well on the show. He sang the Toreador’s song from Carmen by Bizet. I couldn’t wait to see him again in a fortnight’s time.

My colleagues were incredulous that I was watching the show. They were not opera singers or opera fans but they think that it belittled a lifetime of training and studying into something that diminishes efforts and hardships. But I think they were taking it a bit too seriously. Everyone knows that it take years to train a voice to be able to sing in an opera house. It was just an “entertainment” programme and follows the format of X-Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing on Ice, Britain Got talent, Apprentice etc, etc.

The programme was to show the public what goes in teaching someone to sing “properly”. And I think it was an ideal of bringing opera to the masses and breaking down the barriers. Did it succeeded? Well, I for one watched it but only because McElderry was in it. Listening to the songs sung by the contestants, I realised that most of them have been used in all kinds of advertisements. So not that “upper-class stuff” at all. Fingers-crossed that my favourite contestant will be chakka, chakka, chakka (the Mexican music maestro Rolando Villazon’s meaning of tiptop, spot on) and win the contest.

Congratulations and well-done to Babe. I think 4 of his photographs of a kingfisher, deer at Bradgate Park, Four-Spotted Chaser and Redshank chicks had appeared on the BBC Springwatch red button montage. Viewers had sent about 126k photographs (the last time I checked) and to have 4 was pretty amazing. We enjoyed taking photographs of everything and anything and to share it with everyone was the icing on the cake. On Thursday, CC and I went to see Les Barker performing at The Maudslay.  Barker is a Wrexham-based folk hero and poet best known for his comedic poetry, monologues and parodies of popular songs. He has remained firmly rooted in the circuit of folk clubs and festivals where he has a devoted following. Barker was also known as Mrs Ackroyd, named after his mongrel dog. In 2008 he was awarded the NIACE Inspire Award as Welsh Learner of the Year, and recited his poem "Have you Got Any News of the Iceberg?" in Welsh at the presentation in Swansea. That itself was a great achievement.

CC and I had dinner at McDonalds, my first trip in about 10 years and I guess it was a treat :-). I tucked into Filet-o-Fish, a small portion of chips and a milk shake. It was ok and I might visit again in 10 years time. We later met GLW and PW at the venue. CC bought me a Coke, thanks, before we adjourned to the function room. We got a table near the stage as other spectators began to trickle in. We were first entertained by a folk group who were giving us a taste of their performance for the coming Warwick Folk Festival. They were good.

Then it was time for the main act to perform. Barker strolled slowly on stage and managed to keep us in fits of laughter before he even started. He read the well-known poems from his books and his dedicated followers would join in with the last verses. It was hilarious and a bit weird for us. His fans knew these poems very well. We left much earlier because  it had been a long day for both of us. CC bought one of his books and we nearly split our tummy laughing at this haiku.

O the island of

Haiku is seventeen syl

lables long; doo dah.

!!!!! :-)

At work, the International Student Group met to discuss the results of a survey that we conducted to find out the views of foreign students on the library. We wanted to know what were the problems they had encountered when using the library and finding out ways on how we can help them. I was given the task to evaluate and analyse the answers about the library’s best bits. There was a variety of answers given and I group them into ambience, books, electronic resources, opening hours, staff, self-service machine, refurbishment, IT help-desk, the catalogue etc. I was so pleased that the catalogue was listed :-). Babe promised to help me to construct a spectacular graph to illustrate my findings which will be added in the final copy.

On Friday, this escapee caused a stir in the University. My colleagues couldn’t wait to inform me about this beauty they found feeding merrily in the grounds between the Humanities, Modern Records Centre and Coventry House. At first, I thought they were pulling my leg until GLW showed me a shot he took with his mobile. I was out in a flash. A few staff were still there checking the bird out. This adorable parakeet was still feeding, oblivious to the excitement it had caused. Some wanted to call the RSPCA but the bird was healthy, feeding and flying. Anyway, I spent sometime with this exotic bird before reluctantly getting back into the office to earn some £££.I couldn’t wait for my lunch break to see if it was still around. And it was still there, still feeding merrily on the grounds. For such a colourful bird, it was very well-camouflaged. There was a lot of people walking past who wasn’t even aware of it. I spent my break sitting on the ground and even shared my lunch. It came very close. It was so tempting just to grab him. A rumbling tractor drove by and spooked it, disappearing onto a nearby tree. When Babe came in the evening, we went to look for the bird. But he was AWOL. I hoped he was ok and safe.

Much talking is the cause of danger. Silence is the means of avoiding misfortune. The talkative parrot is shut up in a cage. Other birds, without speech, fly freely about.

~Saskya Pandita~

Saturday was spent chilling out at home because Babe was having one of his bad days. I spent the morning pottering in the garden. Everything was growing by leaps and bounds. There was plenty of weeding, dead-heading and grass-cutting. The lavender was in bloom, filling the air with its heady scent and the violas, pansies, geraniums and marigolds were a riot of colour. The cucumbers, tomatoes, chards, courgettes, leeks, aubergine and pumpkins were growing happily. The rain interspersed with lovely sunny days were a blessing.

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

~Unknown~

My salad trough have been supplying me with fresh salad for nearly a month now. With the food scare in the news, it was a blessing. There was 4 troughs of rocket, mizuno, lollo, spinach and cos growing happily. My pak-choi  failed to grow this year. I don’t know what when wrong. The fig tree was covered with little baby figs and there were blueberries on the bush. I pulled out an oak sapling which would be too big for our very tiny garden and hoping to plant some raspberry canes. But I think it was too late in the season. A project for next year, perhaps ???I nipped into Tesco in the afternoon to get the papers and a bit of shopping. I didn’t know that there was a half-price sale in the women’s department and just had to join in. First, I hunted a purple cardigan that I’d seen before but it wasn’t there. There were other colours but not purple :-(. Then a peep at the shoe section which looked like a tornado had gone through. I picked the latest colour, a pair of nude court shoes. The last size 5 left and when I tried it on, it wasn’t comfortable. What a double let-down.

After collecting my prescription from Boots, I went into Next to purchase a pair of black leather court shoes. I have been eyeing these for months, but there was always something else that I needed to purchase first. I tried them on and sashayed on the carpet. It was perfect and was very comfortable. Unfortunately, there was no size 5. Grrr…I will come again next week and fingers-crossed it will be in stock.

After spending Saturday in bed, Babe couldn’t wait to get a bit of fresh air. So on a drenched Sunday afternoon, we were in Brandon Marsh in our waterproof gear. At Baldwin hide, the terns were sitting in their nests on the floating pontoons. As we walked along the path, the swifts were out and about enjoying the rain. From East Marsh hide, we saw the Oyster Catcher chicks have grown to be exact replicas of their parents. We have been keeping an eye on their progress. It would be very sad to see them go.We dashed towards Carlton Hide in the rain. There was nobody there and when we looked out it was very quiet but thankfully not for long. A very soaked Mistle Thrush sang his heart out in the rain from the tree top. Babe spotted this very drenched  Sparrowhawk perched on the tree stump to the right of the hide. What ever the weather, they still need to be out and about hunting for food.It was the same for this Blackcap. There was a pair nesting in the bramble bush just beside the hide and they must have very hungry chicks. They took turns flying out and landing on the shrubs just in front of us. We held our breath and all you could hear were our cameras rattling away. We saw them moving from stem to stem, picking caterpillars with their beaks. It was pretty amazing to see them with their beaks full of wriggling caterpillars. Then they fly back to their nest and we could hear the cries of the hungry chicks wanting to be fed.We also spotted this Whitethroat doing the same thing. Whitethroats were doing well in the reserve. I really love these adorable birds with their striking white beards, busy hunting for insects and their larvae. I would have love to stay longer but it was freezing in the hide. The rain was still pouring and all I could think was my warm casa and a hot cup of coffee. It was time to call it a day to a very chakka, chakka, chakka week. :-)

It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honour nature’s gift, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever.

~Jimmy Carter~

Sex on Fire ???

What on earth am I talking about? Well, that was the song that I’d been humming the whole week. Bank holiday Monday started with the Ricoh rocking to the American Indie band, Kings of Leon. 40K revellers, mostly sporting the bands trademark red flower necklaces, arrived as early as 12pm. The roads around our casa were littered with traffic cones to stop them from parking their cars. The whole day all we could hear was the constant humming of the traffic.

Lets imagine the 4 herons above as Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew from Kings of Leon strutting on a watery stage :-). Usually I would leave the door opened so that I could join in the fun. But not that day. It had been raining the whole day, very windy and it was freezing. But I’m sure everyone had a good time because I could hear them singing along when I was doing ironing upstairs. I had the window opened. The concert ended with some spectacular firework displays. And late into the night we could hear the traffic still trying to leave the Ricoh.

Babe wasn’t feeling well and so we decided to chill out at home. The weather was rubbish anyway and I’ve got plenty of things to keep me busy. I have to finish reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark for the book discussion on Wednesday. I have now joined a new book-club organised by the staff of University House. I was on the lookout for a new group that suit my hours ever since the Borders book-club disbanded.

I also packed a box for Malaysia containing bits and pieces for the family. My cousin, Lyana and hubby, are returning back for good in July and I’m taking the opportunity to sneak in a box in their container. Lyana have been here for nearly 6 years, first studying at York and then in Coventry University. I am going to miss them very much.

At first I planned to have pizza at their place for dinner. I had to cancel since Babe was still under the weather. We made arrangements for them to have dinner at our casa before they leave. We went to their casa to hand in the box and we’d a little chinwag in the midst of their packing chaos. They had to send their stuff to York the next day because they are sharing a container with another friend.

At work, I baby sat 4 people who were short-listed to attend an interview as Metadata Librarian for the Publications Database. I met them at the reception point, took them for a short tour of the library, showed them the Data Service office and then brought them to the interviewing panel. It was quite strange to be on the other side of the fence and I really empathise with all of them. Good luck and the next time we meet again, one of them will be my new colleague.

I was early at my first book-club meeting. It was a 10 minute walk from my office. I was introduced as the latest member and as an outsider as all of them worked in the University House. But they were a very friendly lot and made me feel welcome. I must remember to bring my lunch along the next time as all of them were having their lunch amidst the discussions. It was good meeting and everyone contributed. We will meet again on the first Wednesday of July discussing William Faulkner’s ‘As I lay dying’. Hmm…quite a strange selection.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I took the bus to work as Babe was too ill to drive. It was an easy ride as the school children were still on their term-break. But when we were nearing Pool Meadow bus station, the road was cordoned off. I later found out that in the early morning there was a massive brawl of about 300 people outside a club. Hundred of thugs from as far away as London and Birmingham fought with police after a club night in the city centre. What a waste of police time.

This week started by rocking to the Kings of Leon and ended with an Arabian night. There was a traditional Tunisian Souk market and bazaar in the city-centre. Stalls were selling hand crafted pottery, ceramics, handmade jewellery and freshly cooked delicacies to the pulsating sounds of Arabian beat. I was interested in the traditional tagine cookery pots but they were for decorative purposes only. I was hoping to get my hands for a proper tagine pot because I love lamb tagine and would like to cook it using an authentic pot. 

My colleagues and I were in the city centre for another trip to the Noodle Bar. When we arrived it wasn’t opened yet so we took the opportunity to check out the market. At the restaurant, I ordered my usual udon with seafood special and Chinese vegetables washed with steaming pots of cha. CC ordered prawns wonton as starter and shared them with me. Thanks. From where we were sitting, we’d a good view of the passersby below, checking out what they were wearing.

On Saturday, Babe and I went to Bradgate Park to check out the natives. And we weren’t alone. Half of Leicestershire was there, having a picnic, cycling, pond-dipping, running, dog-walking and just enjoying the beautiful day. Looking at the crowd, I guess we won’t be seeing much of the natives. They tend to stay hidden in the forest when the park gets too crowded. I don’t blame them.

As usual, I scanned the River Lin for my favourite widgeon. But there was soo many people along the banks and in the shallower part of the river pond-dipping. As we continued walking, we heard the distinctive whistling ‘whee-oo’ before we could spot him. There he was grooming at the opposite side of the river. It was so lovely to see him again, looking as splendid as before.

Further on, we spotted solitary deer feeding here and there among the brackens on the hills. Then we came across this herd of fallow deer feeding in the open field, away from the main path. We crept slowly towards them so that they were used to our presence. It was quite funny cos as we crept closer, we were being watched by another deer, hidden among the grass. After snapping merrily, we made our way to Lady Jane Grey’s house which was now opened to the public.

In the grounds, we spotted this handsome peacock having a grand stroll checking out the visitors. It was so lovely to see him again.. There was also a herd of deer feeding at the far end of the estate. I also spotted a Green Woodpecker, Pied wagtails, Heron, Starlings and Goldfinches. We could hear another peacock screaming from behind the walls. I knew it was the albino but he was hidden away among the thick, tall grasses..

The park was getting very busy by now that we decided to call it a day. A herd of Red Deer was feeding by the hillside but it was too far for us to walk. Then we saw this pretty Mistle Thrush busy feeding among the trees. It was very strange to see the huge throngs of people walking past, oblivious of this bird. Not us a we slowly stalked her with our cameras. Then it was time to head home. On Sunday, we went to our favourite playground to check what was about. I think we’d missed the swallow fledglings. We saw all of them lined on their usual perch waiting to be fed. From time to time, they were seen flying after their parents. I think the parents were now thinking of having a second brood. Babe busied himself with macro photography . He was always bending over some plants trying to get the best shot of the insects, beetles and bees. I can’t do that because I was playing with a Sigma 170X500 lens attached to the D50. It took some time to get used to it, making sure that I don’t get too close to the object. We walked through the West Marsh when I managed to get this handsome Black Cap singing his heart out. I was so chuffed because this was my first sighting for this year.

At Riverside Pool, a Common Sandpiper was fast asleep. We left him alone after taking a few photographs. At East Marsh Pool, the lapwing chick had survived and had grown very quickly. We watched him feeding along the mudbanks, well camouflaged among the reeds. From time to time, one of its parent will fly over to make sure that he’s ok.

On the main island, a Canada Geese was still nesting. A Little Ringed plover was being harassed by a Redshank. I think they must have chicks or eggs and were protecting them by aggressive defence of their site.  We also saw the gorgeous Oystercatcher chicks, now nearly fully grown. Sadly after starting with 4, only 3 remained.

At Carlton, it was quiet on the bird front but very noisy with children running around on the wooden floor. So no birds were about until they left. We spotted another Common Sandpiper feeding on the mudbanks and the Kingfisher made a quick fly-past. I don’t think they would stop because the pool was full of weeds. We saw Whitethroats flirting from tree to tree. Babe took this lovely photograph of a parent feeding her 2 adorable chicks a few days earlier. All together now…Aaah…

What a fabulous and varied week it has been. The first week of June was nearly over. Time flies fast when you’re having fun. I hoped that you too had as much fun as I did.

Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.

~Al Bernstein~