Answer July

"Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—"

~Emily Dickinson, Answer July~ 

It had been a proper summers week so far with blue skies and gorgeous sunshine. And with it that wonderful sense of aliveness that came with with the long days and warm evenings suffused with golden light. July had been predicted to be the hottest month for seven years. The whole country was feeling the benefit of an area of high pressure moving up from the south-west. Things were about to get a lot, lot brighter and according to the weathermen, we were going to bask in a month-long heat-wave. Whoop…whoop bring it on.

My colleagues and I started July with a RDA-CIG pop-up workshop. We were soo looking forward to it and began drumming interests a fortnight ago. Resource Description and Access (RDA), a new cataloguing standard, had been launched in April and we’d jumped into it guns blazing and now, we were among the top 5 institutions in the country to use it. But we found out that not many institutions were embracing the idea and that they were going to be left behind or playing catch-up. It was to this hind-sight that we decided to host this workshop. 50 Meta-data librarians turned up from up and down the country.  The library don’t know what hit them.

The speakers were brilliant, the crème de la crème. The participants were engrossed with what was offered. British Library highlighted the issues they faced as the ‘national library’ of UK and their role in guiding the rest of the libraries. I liked their idea of training the trainer approach where everyone was training and learning at the same time. Cambridge University outlined their local policy decisions on how they interpreted the rules. Every metadata librarians sighed with relief  when they made their training modules available on-line. Bodleian Library stressed the importance of monitoring feedback from cataloguers to make sure that everyone were reading and understanding from the same set of rules.

After the 3 very intensive sessions, we’d a short break for lunch and the buffet was amazing. Actually, I personally asked the PA, who ordered the food, what was on the menu. I wanted everything to be perfect and wanted the food to fit the occasion. During lunch, I networked  and made new contacts while renewing old acquaintances.Then back to the workshop, stuffed but raring to go. From Warwick University, my manager focused on the library management system that must be RDA compliant. There were many new fields in RDA which should be visible on the catalogue. Finally, RLUK mentioned that they planned to use the Cambridge University work on RDA under license to create  a RLUK application profile which I think was a major coup for them.

The workshop ended with lots of Q & A, discussions and actions planning. Everyone was buzzing with ideas and promises to keep each other informed of their progress. CC, KC and I ended the day with a Chinese banquet at Wing Wah. I’d not seen KC for more than a year and there were plenty of catching up to do. We took turns to fill our plates. I’d the sushi, prawns and mussels for starters. For the main course, again, I filled my plates with more seafood and Singaporean Fried Noodles. CC got me grilled calamari and I went again for seconds. Yum…yum. I ended the meal with fresh fruit for dessert. We left at about 7.30pm because KC had a train to catch. Have a safe trip and hoped to see you soon.

I also attended another meeting with the Library Working Group for International Students. We discussed the current set up of the staff-web pages which had been updated by KH and a post-mortem on the previous induction session. I raised an issue regarding visiting/international students taking images around the library. Previous occasions had provoked tweets from students who didn’t like filming or photos being taken in study areas. Since the library has no policy about photography, the group decided to advise the visitors that they weren’t allowed to take images of other users in study areas. We have to find a balance here as not to be too prescriptive with tour groups who were excited about their visit to the University and want to share it with their friends and families.

There was another hospital appointment at the Outpatient Department. It was a follow-up to the procedure that I’d about a month ago. I knew that there was nothing wrong with me but you still need to fulfil the appointment. Babe dropped me at the entrance and I walked in. I was surprised to find a long queue at the reception. The clinic was running very late and some people were making alternative appointments. Since I’d taken time off, I decided to wait for my turn. I sent Babe a text saying that I’ll be late. Thankfully, I’d brought a book. After about an hour, I was called in and spent less than 15 minutes with the consultant just to be informed that I’m as healthy as can be.

Babe and I took advantage of the long, balmy evenings with an evening stroll at our favourite playground. There were still a few cars about. A Goldfinch serenaded us as we got out of the car . We stopped by the pool where a Reed Bunting popped from the reeds to say hello. Red and blue damselflies were busy courting and laying eggs. They were busy playing catch-up. We walked through the woods and the path was cleared of overgrown nettles. We headed straight to Steely Hide to see if the Kingfisher would came out to play. But not today.  

This weekend we made our final visit to Bempton Cliffs for this year. It was 24C in the car and we were armed with bottles of water, lashes of sun-cream and attired in white cotton and hats. Along the motorway, rapeseed fields had been harvested and the fields left to fallow for hay. But as we neared East Yorkshire, there were still fields of golden yellow with pockets of red poppies. Very pretty under the glowing hot sun. There must be a biker convention somewhere because we came across a few contingent of bikers on their impressive machines. Babe then reminisced of his biker days.

After 3 hours we arrived safely in a very packed and busy reserve. We’d to park on the road, with permission of course. We freshened up and  made use of the facilities while being entertained by hundreds of Tree Sparrows chirping on the roof of the visitor centre. As usual, we always take time to observe their antics. A swallow flew right above Babe’s head and headed straight to its nest under the roof. We looked up and saw it busy feeding its chicks. And then off it flew out again. It was a miracle to see it manoeuvred above the hundreds of heads bobbing through the door.

As soon as we entered the reserve ground, we could see hundreds of people at the various viewpoints. Hmm…that was going to be a tight squeeze. The air was still full of songs as we walked down towards Bartlett Nab.The wildflower meadows swamped us as we walked along the path. Down Grandstand Gully, we spotted these fluffy Kittiwakes chicks. They’d a particularly slow start to the breeding season but there were plenty of chicks around now. It was quite stressful to see them panting in the scorching heat. The parents were trying their best to shield them but I bet the cliff surfaces were heating up too.

“High from the earth I heard a bird;

He trod upon the trees

As he esteemed them trifles,

And then he spied a breeze,

And situated softly

Upon a pile of wind

Which in perturbation

Nature had left behind.”

~Emily Dickinson~

 

We’d braved the blazing sunshine as we walked towards Jubilee Corner and was very thankful when the North Sea breeze was blown inland. I’d to squeeze myself onto the platform as some of the visitors were reluctant to budge. One was there in the same position before we arrived and was still there when we left, half an hour later. We think that was a bit much. How many photos of a puffin can you take? They weren’t doing anything  spectacular except looking adorable. I couldn’t see any Puffins from where I was standing although I could see them flying in and out. But there were plenty of Gannet and Guillemot chicks. The later were starting to look more like juvenile birds.

As we walked back towards the Grandstand, we stopped at the point where we called the station. A pair of puffin was chilling out on a ledge. Was this the same pair we saw a fortnight ago? We’d permanent smiles on our faces as we rattled hundreds of photographs. It was amazing to watch them interacting with each other, having little scuffles and then grooming each other. Aaah…The curious appearance of these adorable birds, with its brightly coloured bill and its striking piebald plumage, had given rise to nicknames such as '"clown of the ocean" and "sea rooster". Together with their comical, waddling walk, it was very difficult not to feel cheered by the sight of puffins.

We walked back to the car to get something to eat. There was a parking space near the visitor centre and Babe drove the car there. We had our sandwiches and drinking gallons of juice. We need to keep hydrated as both of us were prone to sunstrokes. Before we continued our adventure, we checked out the feeding station before it got too dark. There were Tree sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Wood pigeons and Blue Tits. We also stopped at the bird-feeder outside the visitor centre and watched a row of Tree sparrow chicks waiting to be fed. I couldn’t stop a heartfelt ‘aww’ from escaping my lips.

We walked towards the New Roll-up and were greeted with swereee, swereee cries. We looked up and hundreds of Swifts were screaming across the blue Yorkshire skies. Swifts always signal the start of summer. These remarkable birds migrated between  here and Africa. Below us was Gannet territory and hundreds were gliding and soaring. The 'Yorkshire Belle' carrying lucky passengers were getting close to the cliffs. I thought there was no boat services today but I guess I got it wrong. Never mind…there was always next year.

As we got closer to Staple Newk view point, the incessant sound of the ‘cackling ‘ call of the Gannets greeted us. We peered down onto the arch and it had gone all fluffy as dozens of chicks were springing all over. They were feathering in white and getting bigger. Some of them were too big for the parents to cover. Gannets have the longest fledging period. The adults re-use nest platforms and kept adding materials throughout the season.

“Hail to thee, blithe spirit!

Bird thou never wert,

That from Heaven, or near it,

Pourest thy full heart

In profuse strains of unpremeditated art”

~Percy Bysshe Shelley~

Then it was time to say goodbye to sea-bird city until next year. It was hard to believe it but the seabird breeding season had reached its climax and we’d witnessed them all. Despite the spring that never sprung and the unprecedented slow start to the season, chicks were appearing en masse. Babe and I took different paths back to the visitor centre. Babe walked along the cliff while I waded through the wildflower meadows. Trailside flora was dominated by red campion, black knapweed, various thistles and orchids including common spotted, northern marsh and pyramidal. Commas, Ringlets and Whites, along with day-flying moths such as cinnabars and burnet were flying around me. But the sighting of this handsome Linnet made my day.

“There are gayer birds, ‘tis true

On the mossy branches glittering

Gold or scarlet, green or blue,

Let then flit the woodlands through,

But their song to thine is twittering”

~Ann Taylor~

We’d a locally made ice-cream to cool down before bidding goodbye to one of our favourite place in the world. We will meet again in 2014, insyallah. It was 27C in the car and it was going to take us 3 long hours home. We heard on the radio that M1 was closed and praying hard that we won’t face any traffic problems. As usual, I managed to doze off and woke up as we were nearing the South Leicester services. At the roundabout, I looked up and spotted the Buzzard perched on the pylon, surveying his kingdom.

After yesterday’s trip, we decided to stretch our legs at Brandon Marsh. But first, a pit stop at Morisson for cream because I planned to make dauphinoise potatoes for dinner. We also bought punnets of cherries and strawberries and stored all the shopping in a cooler bag. We walked through the forest and saw this handsome Jay washing itself. He was soo busy that he was oblivious to his surroundings. We went straight to Steely Hide and waited and waited and still no Kingfisher.

After about an hour, we left and walked through Horsetail Glade. We saw a mixed flock of Long-tail, Blue and Great tits. It was too hot to linger in the reserve. We made a pit stop at Riverpool Hide and all the natives were in the reeds, hiding from the sun. Along the path towards East Marsh pool, the nettles were covered with wriggling Peacock caterpillars. What a brilliant place to keep safe from predators.

“The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity”

~George Carlin~

At East Marsh Hide, the overgrown shrubs had been cleared making it easier to see the lakes. Thankfully, the reeds weren’t cleared because Reed buntings, Warblers and Whitethroats were still nesting. We spotted a few busy hunting and flying to and fro their nests. A Cetti Warbler was calling very close to the hide, heard but not seen as usual. We saw an Oyster-Catcher chick with its parent on the island in front of us. Adorable Tufted ducklings were busy diving for food under mum’s watchful eyes.

We made a pit stop at Baldwin Hide. The Common Terns were still nesting on the pontoon. We saw a Coot ferrying reed stalks towards its nest. This must be their 3rd. brood. The warm weather and plenty of food were ideal conditions for bigger families. Black headed gulls and Lapwings were competing to see who were the loudest. But we were distracted by these very noisy crow chicks who were begging to be fed. We could see how harassed the parents were trying to keep them quiet. We didn’t stay long because I’ve got a tennis match to catch.

“The crow – the crow! the great black crow!

He loves the fat meadow – his taste is low;

He loves the fat worms, and he dines in a row

With fifty fine cousins all black as a sloe.”

~P. J. Bailey~

And  what a match it was. Andy Murray shook free 77 years of unwanted history to beat world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in three pulsating, ragged sets 6-4. 7-5, 6-4 to win Wimbledon on the sunniest of Sundays. Everyone knew Djokovic’s reputation for bouncing back from lost causes. Even when Murray led by a 2 sets and a break, it never felt comfortable. At 5.11 pm, the torturous wait was over. It was one of those moments that will forever be bathed in a glow of palpable warmth, from the crowd and the skies above the opened roof of Centre Court. I bet everyone was finally leaving Fred Perry in peace. Well done and hugging your Mum was one of my favourite moments.

Just to keep the record straight, the Murray headlines had ignored the fact that a Briton won a Wimbledon singles title in 1977. Virginia Wade was a Wimbledon champion that had been written out of history. The 77 year figure came from the last British man to win before Murray who was Fred Parry in 1936. A dark day for sports journalism but a good day for feminist writer Chloe Angyal whose tweet “Murray is indeed the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years unless you think women are people” had been re-tweeted, more than 10k times. But, I guess it really counted when men re-tweeted it . :-) 

After watching the game, we’d a late dinner in the garden. Roast lamb with creamy dauphinoise potatoes and grilled vegetables topped with lashings of onion gravy. Yummy…  So far, July had started perfect and we’d been blessed with long afternoons filled with warmth and golden light.The sun was still out and it bathed the garden in all its glory.Dining outside on the patio was a luxury. We were entertained by our feathered friends who came in for a late supper. The Roses and Sweet Peas gifted the evening with the most luxurious aromas.

Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language."
-  Henry James~