Grass

Morning! 

Early start today, the weather seemed extremely promising, so I was out at a time beginning with a four! Ouch, but it was very pleasant indeed. Almost unbelievably where I had been planning to take sunrise, fox and owl photos from was occupied by three young hooded gentlemen. At 4.30am! Oh to live somewhere remote with NO PEOPLE. I went somewhere else and took some photos of grass - my current nasal nemesis.

Were it not for my nose and eyes, I could get to quite like grass I think. So many forms, so many angles, shades, textures. Quite beautiful really. 

Eventually the hoodies moved off, presumably to bed, but by then the sun was quite high in the sky. Instead I amused myself with the large congregations of juvenile Starlings feeding in the long grass and making a huge racket. There must have been several hundred of them in a tight flock, and it was the sound of their calls that was most striking - the plaintive whirring of so many juveniles. It seems that they have had a good year, and I look forward to the flocks of pale brown and spangly purple ones being joined by a nice pink one in due course.

Another day now beckons in the lockdown garden, you will not catch me heading off to some beauty spot. I quite like my garden, and certainly my plants have never had it so good - a regime of constant and tender care. Lots of trimming, feeding, repotting and so. My current conundrum is that all my labels have faded due to exposure, and so a number of potted palm trees that all look quite similar are now unidentified. Anyone know how to separate Trachycarpus takil from Trachycarpus nainital? No, didn't think so. I don't either.

Starling Stake-out

The patch is beginning to get me down. It's May, and I can't find anything. Meanwhile my co-patch-workers have turned up a Reed Warbler, a Cuckoo, several Turtle Doves, a Red Kite, and a Common Tern. My best find of late has been a Pigeon. Or perhaps a Canada Goose, not sure which is better. So I'm in a bit of a strop. All patch-workers go through phases like this I suppose, when things don't go so well, and I know it'll get better, but I'm a bit frustrated as I've been working it quite hard (apart from when I've been in Norfolk or Kent).

This morning was no different. It was cold, but relatively clear, and whilst Whitethroat were abundant, I couldn't turn up anything else. After a 6am start it's not really what you want. What I'd really like is some sea to watch, but unless something spectacular happens in Wanstead, I'm a bit stuffed. Actually if Wanstead becomes a sea-watching location, we're all a bit stuffed.

After about 90 minutes of nothing, and feeling genuinely cold in mid-May, I gave up on finding rare migrants and reverted to plan B, which was to see how the Starlings are getting along. Fine is the answer, and I spent a happy twenty minutes watching the adults come and go. They were mostly feeding in the long grass, and had no trouble at all in finding tasty morsels for the hungry chick. I don't know how many are in there, but I only ever saw one poke its head out. Mum (or Dad, in the world I inhabit) did poke her head in though, presumably to ensure fair distribution. Patch-working -the excitement never ends.

"Mum! I think I've been sick!"