Patch!

It's almost unprecedented in recent times, but today I hit the patch for a monster five hour session. The highlight was a Fieldfare. It was one of those days where after the first fifteen minutes you knew, deep down, that nothing wass going to happen. So it proved, but nonetheless I would not have been anywhere else. Glorious sunshine, and a fabulous father son bonding session. The long and short of it is that I am a hero, as many fathers are to small boys. He will soon realise, but for now it's great, and we had a lovely time, culminating at the Tea Shop of Happiness, both us with cake and a cuppa. The poor boy learnt a lot about various boring things, and took some pretty passable shots of Mallards and the like, and, as is his wont, he wittered on happily for the full five hours, secure in the knowledge that no SISTERS were going to get in on the act.

We met Paul D on his weekly round, but more of a surprise was the Drunkbirder, resplendent in bright green, down visiting some friends who have wisely chosen to come and live in Wanstead, the centre of the birding and known universe. I'm not sure they were birders, but you never know, they might be tempted when they see how bloody wonderful it is, slow days with only one Fieldfare aside....

In order to better help teach young master L photographic technique, or that small part that I know about anyway, I took my camera along too. It is somewhat hernia-busting as cameras go, but with bugger all to see, it does at least give me something to do other than kick stones. And frankly I needed to take it out lest I completely forget how it works prior to hitting Tobago. Don't want to be faced with a Motmot and not know what end to point at it.