Ease me back in to the bird scene slowly!!!!

Sunday 19^th August Normal service has been resumed, with today being the longed for and achieved target, of being out of hospital for a super family meal for Mary’s XX Birthday. Darleys is a very good restaurant over-looking the weir at Darley Abbey, so I could thrill at the sight of x-breed Mallards, Canada Geese and Moorhens, whilst the 6 of us sat down for a relaxed lunch.

The family saw it as being a double celebration with me coming out as well!! (Not in that way!!!!)

Bird wise.     Great news that broke this week, is that Red Kites have actually had a chic at Kedleston Hall which is the first time they have bred in Derbyshire for 150 years, in fact since 1863.

Sightings have been on the increase around Derby in recent months, and there was a comment on my blog from Onyx Opteryx about a local sighting in July.  If you look at the increase in numbers, and the extended range of the Chiltern Kites, (Originally around Stokenchurch Cutting, now from Oxford to the M25!) a similar increase in Derbyshire could make Red Kites a wonderful regular raptor.

Add to that our cathedral Peregrines, the passing Ospreys and the Buzzards over Quarndon, this could become an excellent raptor area…. Oh and of course I am not forgetting the hovering Kestrels, and the Sparrowhawks that race through gardens…. Wonderful birds.   

I should of course include Owls in that grouping, but as I have not seen any owls, anywhere in 2018, they continue to be my bogey bird(s), and I am assuming they have vacated my area.

Sunday 26^th August Popped into the wildlife centre at Carsington this morning, and it seemed to be full of an unusual high number of scope toting birders.   The water level has dropped quite a bit, but as you will know, we have to keep Ogston flowing as they do supply customers in S. Yorks and Chesterfield, so the Carsington level is in the low 90% region.

In addition, it had rained all day and the water edge was moist, so Snipe were probing, and pied wagtails seemed to be running and flying everywhere. In fact, a female Yellow Wagtail was spotted, and there were also a good number of Hirundines catching food. A Blackcap, Willow Tit and a couple of other warblers helped make up the 30 species seen by 12 Noon.

By the way, plans are afoot to create a pool in front of the Sand Martin bank in the hope that next year, Martins feeding over the water may be tempted to use the adjacent nest holes.   We continue to listen to suggestions and if they seem worth a try, and we can afford it!!, we will try anything.  We know that a couple of the Osprey nests need make-overs for 2019 following the drone survey, and it is all cost, with the Volunteers not having much in the way of incoming funds.

Volunteer Amanda told me that she has got her skates back on, and her UK year count has now moved on to 193. That disappoints Mac, because he is trailing somewhat, and even below this time last year. (Me too!!)

I’m currently considering my problems with the weight of a scope, tripod, rucksack and bins, and I am considering changing the lot to a new Cannon IS (with powered Image Stabiliser). Trouble is, so far, there are no optics dealers in the area where I can have a good look, so it will need a bit of research.

The IS is a computer programme that stops the camera image vibrating and is said to be particularly good on boats. So, as I say, it is a matter of try it and see.

Anything else?   Next BwB will be next Sunday 2^nd September at 10.00am as usual.

That’s about it for this week.  Happy Birding.

David

An Ode to the NHS

I’m glad to say I’m back again, it can't get any worse,

So I thought for a change that I would write this post in verse.

My Pneumonia came back again, on Wednesday August 8,

So it was blues and twos this time – I got there very late.

The Royal welcomed me back in, to wait in A & E,

And finally found me a bed at twenty five past three.

And so began a 10 day stay with samples, drips and drugs,

All working hard to find and kill my bad infection bugs.

Before I went the second time, the specialist told me,

I’m sorry but I think you need a sig-moid-oscopy.

Apart from diver-ti-cula the test showed nothing up,

so it was to recovery for biscuits and a cup (of tea!).

(UP is the way the tube goes in, it does sound quite obscene!,

But it’s the only way they have to check my intestine.)

Whilst doing all the research work, mainly around my chest,

The consultant said “just one more test, but please remove your vest”.

I’ll give you a bronchoscopy, it will go down your gob,

It may just numb your throat a bit but you won’t feel it throb.

We’ll spray some strong banana tasting drug straight down your throat

You will become light headed and feel like you can float.

Two years ago a throat camera disclosed my cancer scare,

So going down the same way made me very much aware.

But when the scan was over, we were quickly told “OK-

There is nothing there to be concerned – you can both go away!”

If both the scans were done as one, would oscopys collide?

I don’t know how big the tubes are, I hope there’s room inside.

But Sigmoid meeting Brocho is a thought that will prevail,

to make me think of London tubes, and joining of cross-rail!!

The seventeen days in Hospital were calm with little stress

All due to the great caring from the Derby N H S.

But now I'm home with Mary and the family nearby,

I'll have to get back to my blog - well I will have to try!!!  

David

Four Cannulas

Hello from my private suite… the one with no view!!

Yes, since I wrote to you last, I have from Wednesday 25^th July to 2^nd August been confined to an infectious cell in the Royal Hospital Derby, with low blood pressure, a bowel infection, a chest infection a spell of hallucinations and Pneumonia… so nothing much to worry about!!

I expect some of you will have spent time in a Hospital and I was doing the same thing (again), sitting in my padded cell on the third floor, looking down on a quadrangle with plants that blended beautifully with the grey flag stones.

But it was with great delight that last Thursday, I stood at the Hospital entrance (again-) facing outwards and with the yell “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” climbed into my daughters Audi convertible, and let the wind blow through my hair as we came home. Even the fumes smelt good, not that there was any problem at the Royal, where I was very well looked after, comfortable and well fed. (A more frequent cup of PG would have been nice, but the shortage of staff meant that their priority was correctly elsewhere.)

As you can see I did make an attempt to write my blog whilst taking the lightly boiled, but it just did not work. When I reread what I had written when I got home, I could see the brain cells were not working that well, so it was “delete” and start again.

Re the heading, for those who have not had the pleasure, a cannula is an intravenous tube fitted to an arm or hand, through which medication can be sent straight to the blood stream. Unfortunately, on 2 occasions they leaked, so I endured four-cannulas during my stay.

When I was in for a Cancer Op in 2016, I did form the Royal Hospital Inmates Bird club, with a starting total of 2 – Feral Pigeon and Pied Wagtail. In 2018, only a Feral Pigeon.

The only Avian links were the variety of chicken on offer, Chicken Tikka Masala, Roast Chicken, Sweet & Sour Fried Chicken, and Chicken Korma, all of which I have to say were excellent and done to a turn (i.e. on a spit)

This was compensation for having no Black Pudding for 8 mornings, let alone no bacon, hash brown, sausage or mushrooms. The one attempt to escape to a cafe,  was when I was taken for a scan. With cash in my gown pocket and ready for a rush to the caff, I was expecting to have the same experience as in a previous year when I made my own way back to my ward. Oh no, things change …off the scanner, on the chair, fast delivery and tipped into my room in the same unceremonious way that Tony tipped Dorothy on the bed after her appendix removal, by just upending the wheelchair, in Men Behaving Badly!

I had 16 cooked meals during my committal, enjoyed 14, and they were good.  

As my visit hopefully now becomes a distant memory, I am reminded of the words of the song about the Green, Green Grass of Home. (Ed:  But our grass is far from green!??) No not the grass, in the verse… “The four grey walls that surround me!!!!!

Just the odd wildlife snippet in the 14 days.

1.     

  1.  News from Chris of Nottingham.   A Mallard with chicks was in her road, and 4 of the youngsters did not realise that the drain cover was not solid and fell through. 2 neighbours carried out a noble lifesaving rescue service for the ducklings and returned them to the frantic parent.

  2.     Michael, my son, found a baby blackbird in his garden near Rutland, and not being a keen birder, although he does recognise Red Kites, sought my help as to what to do. The chick was quietly placed in an adjacent bush, and the presence of 2 adults suggests that it may survive.

33.    Finally, I did have an hour at the wildlife centre at Carsington today, and there was talk about a goodly number of waders and migrants. My hi-lite was to see a Peregrine go through, not apparently on a mission, but quite clearly identifiable.

Hopefully if I can muster some missing energy, it will be back to birding very soon.

Good Birding.