Friday
9th December Light to
fresh SW
Mild,
12C, cloudy, some light drizzle but mostly dry.
There
is a wonderful 94 year old man next to me at the breakfast table,
John from Chatham, Kent and can he chat. John is fit and very
conversational and it is a pleasure to listen to his stories about
family and his life as an engineer. John has caught two coaches from
his home town to come up to see his sister who is in a care home in
Chesterfield. Gaynor, the proprietress of the excellent Acorns Guest
House, tells me that John is a frequent visitor. John makes me feel
as though maybe I am only two thirds of the way along my own life
journey. What a fabulous inspiration.
An
extremely rare thrush, a Dusky Thrush, from China has lost her way
and is in a small village, Beeley, about ten miles from where I am as
today's cycling is started. Will this incredible year ever stop
throwing up such rarities. This must be the best year ever for rare
birds and next year's Rare Bird Report in British Birds magazine is
going to be a must read.
The
road through the town negotiated, a turn onto a cycle path takes the
bike alongside a large pool and into a small wood. My mood is
extremely carefree today with songs and laughs and a stop to chat
with a passing lady dog walker cheers her up. She says that she has
been feeling extremely stressed recently and hearing singing and
whistling from someone with such an unusual collection of friends has
helped tremendously. Good deed done for the day, a collection of
smiling people stop as a decorated Christmas Tree stops me.
Jo, Hugh, Christine, Pauline, Val, Laura, Nancy and Ian
The
Chesterfield Nordic Walking Group are Nordic walking their way back
into town; as lovely a group of people as one can meet. Laura seems
to be their leader and she tells everyone the story of how a family
started to decorate this evergreen tree in the wood and that it has
become a local tradition ever since. It is gratifying to see how many
decorations are on the tree and that no one vandalises it. With
photographs taken and reasons exchanged it is time for goodbye and to
carry on.
Through
the village of Holymoorside, the hill to the west towards Beeley
seems never ending; a rise of 600 feet in one and three quarter
miles. At least the long push gives chances to watch winter Thrushes
in the fields, hundreds of them with a lot of Starlings too.
More
unusual is a fantastic male Hen Harrier that crosses the road in
front of me before heading off southwards.
The
quickest route to Beeley has a road blocked off for repairs. A car
stops to offer advice, two young Chinese tourists, their English
perfect, tell me that they think I will be able to get through.
The
blocked off road descends towards the destination village and I am
relieved when the two workers, sitting in their van having a cuppa,
tell me that it is OK to cycle through.
Into
the village, it is soon apparent that the Dusky Thrush is a very rare
bird. There are birders everywhere.
Around eighty of them are
gathered by the broken down dry stone wall of the village orchard.
Fruit on the floor beneath the old fruit trees is attracting
Fieldfares and Blackbirds, Redwings are flying overhead but there is
no sign of the Dusky. A couple of hours pass.
Suddenly
birders are on the move. Some walk, some run. I do the latter. Up a
short hill, through a courtyard, negotiate a fence and ditch and into
a field where around a hundred birders are gathered watching a
distant mega.
Dusky Thrush goes onto the Green Year List, bird
number 317. A lovely couple, Malcolm and Lynn lend me their telescope
to get great views of a rlly beautiful thrush. It is just a shame
that my camera isn't good enough to take good photographs at this
range.
Happy
after watching the bird for an hour or so and having had chats with
birders, I need to head off to get a bed for the night. The first
attempt on finding a bed & breakfast has me cycle on. I am sorry
but I cannot afford £148 for the night.
11.11
miles 1138 feet elevation up 1070 feet down
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