Another season begins
17 March 2008
Driving over Blubberhouses on my way back from York on Friday afternoon, I saw my first Curlew of the season, doing their paragliding impressions above the moors.
Later on, walking Rufus, I was therefore not surprised to find our largest wading bird had arrived at the Beck as well. What I was surprised by though, were the numbers they had arrived in. It seems every year their populations grow – as say compared to the Lapwing (or Peewit or Green Plover) and the air was full of their burbling crescendos.
Swelling the ranks were just a pair of these nomadic Lapwing, a pair of Goosanders and half a dozen of the summer visitors from Africa – Common Sandpipers. Easter is early this year, but the birds seem to be lagging behind last year and the Long-tailed Tits certainly seem to be sticking to their flocks – wisps of them drifting through the plantation.
Well Rufus has just appeared (dirty stop-out), back from an extended walk-voluntary which he took at about 4pm on the canal towpath. There must have been some very interesting bitch pass by. I tracked him for about 3 miles, but turned round on nearing Barnoldswick as the last person I met coming the other way, said he’d not been seen, and explored other favourite routes. It’s now 10.30pm and I’d better give the Police answerphone another ring – in the morning I think.
Life Returns
