Invader

One of the 'problems' of having a patch is that you have to tolerate other people tramping all over it. Hikers, dogwalkers, riders, shooters, trappers, dumpers, humpers and even birders have all, on occasion, crossed my path. This morning in breezy rainy conditions even the cyclists were not put off although it was nice to chat to Bill from Smallburn on his Ponteland circuit and the Woolsington jogger doing his 16k so I'm not totally intolerant. But........now we've got a hawker! No, not an itinerant selling things but flying his enslaved bird at anything that fluttered by. Fortunately there were not too many targets as, like most areas, the open country passerines are largely absent. Reed Buntings are few and far between and today I heard my first Meadow Pipit (No 59 on the list) of the year with no sign yet of any Skylarks although the Yellowhammer flock at the goats is building nicely.

I wonder if this is the same bloke who flys his bird at West Hartford where it disappears off to perch on a transmitter tower nearby or the lad whose bird spent a night on top of a house on the main street in Dinnington last summer when it refused to return. The sight of the local plonky (myself excepted) trying to tease the bird down onto her naked forearm with some crisps remains a favourite moment of 2010.

Of course each to his own and I suppose I must grin and bear it although remain interested to see what would happen should bird and owner come across the real thing!