Twitchy on Sunday Mornings?

I’m not a twitcher, not really – but I am interested and my friend, Craig who helped me with the swift boxes had offered to lead a walk this morning helping a group of us identify birds by their calls.

“We’re meeting at 10am,” he said, “at the top of the lane. But don’t forget that  is will be an hour earlier body clock wise.” Craig has a wonderfully measured approach to life. He considers things and speaks with gentleness and authority.

Now I’m not an early riser, if I don’t have to be – and the weekend is catch up time – but I really thought 10 am on a Sunday morning, even though it would feel like 9 am wouldn’t be too difficult.
I hadn’t taken into account Cycloman’s schedules. Maybe because I hadn’t actually been told them?
On Friday a colleague asked about his cycling plans this weekend: would he be doing the Islip one? I didn’t know.
So when he arrived home on Friday I asked.

There is a cycle ride from Westminster up to a small Oxfordshire village, Islip and yes he would be doing it. Sunday. And of course he needed to get to Westminster. Early.

“Yes,” he said, “of course it means an early start.”

“How early?”

“I’ll have to get going by 5:30,” he said. “That is out of the house and over to Islip by 5:30 to meet my lift.”

“Is that new time or old time?”

“New time.”

“So that’s 4:30 body clock time?”

“Yup.”

“Do you mind if I don’t get up? Just kiss me goodbye when you go….”

(We have this arrangement. It suits both of us. He has silence and head space. I get more sleep. I know there are countless dedicated wives who will be appalled at this. They would be the ones getting up and making a bacon butty and mug of coffee for their spouse at the very least. I am not one of those. Not any more.)

And so he crept out of bed this morning and just before he left he kissed me goodbye and I roused myself just enough to say, “Goodluck.” And after he’d gone I thought I’d just turn over and go back to sleep. But no, not for a while at least. I had been to a conference yesterday and there was a lot to think about…. I was on the point of thinking I may as well get up and make a cup of tea as I’m obviously not going to go back to sleep, when I must have dropped off… and I was taken by surprise and woken by the alarm clock. What? 9:30 new time!

There was just about time for a cuppa before pulling on a track-suit and running down to meet the twitchers.

It was so worthwhile, once I had tuned my ears into birdsong and tried to damp down the tinnitus. I’m not good at singling out sounds, nor remembering sound patterns, but after this morning I feel more confident… and it was so lovely.

We heard, among others:

blackbirds, thrushes, great tits, blue tits, chiff chaff, a tiny wren, buzzards, chaffinch,wood-pigeon and ring neck dove. We also saw a greater spotted woodpecker and pied wagtails…. and many more.

There are several websites now that give little tutorials on recognising birdsong. I like this one which helps with blackbirds, song thrush and mistle thrush and this one which has lots of different recordings you can listen to, to identify what you’ve heard.

My favourite bit  of info gained this morning was this:

What does the wood pigeon say?
My toe bleeds, Betty,
My toe bleeds, Betty,
My toe bleeds, Betty,
Look.

On return Scout was waiting for me. He needed a lift, urgently.

“Ice-skating and the others are not going to wait for me.”

A lift was given. And as I drove back from town a text arrived. When I stopped to read it I smiled.

“Turns out they were working on old time… won’t be here for another hour.”