10th May 2010
Video killed the radio star
The Bugles
Having camped at the reserve entrance, an early start gave me Common Tern [195] and much the same birds as the previous evening; Yellow Wagtail, Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin, a Pintail pair and a few Wigeon, Grasshopper Warbler reeling behind their hide and a partial albino Jackdaw with white wings.
There
is a group of four wonderful people at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB reserve and a
million thanks to them. My visit here was one of the best and I am extremely
grateful to : Paul Brady, Colin, Geoff and Rhianne, who all made me so very
welcome and the visit here because of them and the birds was brilliant.
The
day started bizarrely and with a hilarious amount of fun. Radio Merseyside were
to interview Paul and me. On time a small van with an immense radio aerial
arrived outside the reserve's house and upon the full erection of the mast, an
interview was started, Paul first. Now Paul and I had had a bet before the
radio van's arrival. Who could include the letters RSPB the most in the minute
or so each of us had for interview time would be the winner? Paul's interview:
thirteen times the magic RSPB was mentioned. A brilliant effort, which sounded
more like a Pampers advert. “I came to this RSPB reserve after I had worked for
the RSPB at the RSPB HQ, etc. etc.....
My
turn came. I thought I was doing great. I thought I was going to win! The
small, very funny Scouse DJ holding the microphone in my face was nodding like
a small dog on the back window of a car. I am sure I counted fifteen RSPBs.
“I'm
sorry. I lost reception. Can you do it again?” Came the response to my request
for the count.
No
reception was possible before the programme moved onto another riveting topic.
I lost by default.
Paul, although a Middlesborough fan with a Scouse accent, took me around the
area where some amazing new developments were planned to take place; a new
visitor's centre planned, a six hectare scrape and extensive walkways though
woods and around ex-fishing lakes, as well as hides and screens. Building was
to start very soon, the reserve would soon become one of the RSPB flagship
reserves.
An interesting item found during the walk was a discarded carp head with an
otter spraint (pooh to you) plonked on top of it. Charming.
Anyway off eventually to Parkgate and on reaching the bench overlooking the
extensive saltmarsh with its masses of Spartina townsendii, had lovely chats
with passers-by. Sincere and grateful thanks to Johnnie Hardie and 'a lady I
met' but I am sorry I did not write down your name in the book. Lunch was
sausage, gravy and chips from a famous chippy there. I had last had chips from
this emporium 36 years ago, yes, I am that old, when myself and two students
from my days at Chester College, Charlie Wildman and Peter Martin went on the
bus to bird the marsh. I well remember the flying chips as a close by male Hen
Harrier, my first, came out of the saltmarsh grass in front of us.
Indeed the whole of my visit to the Dee Estuary has been like the return of the
Prodigal Son. Even a few tears as I came through Burton and remember
photographing a Swallow on a TV aerial there and walking for my first view of
Burton Marsh. Lots of memories and good times. Changes too with less water in
the Burton Marsh area and the rookery north of there now gone along with the
trees that held it.
I met more brilliant people whilst chomping chips, including Paul and Sara,
police officers from Chester. A great day for meeting interesting people.
A late evening cycle to Chester and after a brief look around 'my' college, now
a university, I went to the pub I frequented most as a student, The George and
the Dragon. Gone were the revolving doors, infamous back when I had had two
shandies. Instead there was a welcoming door with the news that the pub now had
accommodation. How could I refuse? A comfy bed paid for and enjoyed.
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