The blog title sounds like it should be a book or poem title! It refers to my early morning venture doing the monthly bird survey out by the river. It was pretty awful first thing heavy rain and buffeting wind.. Ground was like  paddy fields and the scrapes were full. In one or two places had to be careful that the water didn’t come over the tops of my wellies! I was delighted to be assailed by the wonderfully evocative marshland sound of warbling Curlew to cheer my spirits. However, soon the weather improved and saw big groups of birds like 150+ Golden Plover, 70+ Pintail and 75 Lapwings. I love watching Lapwing in flight especially when the sun is out. I was lucky to see 2 Jack Snipe much to the annoyance of one of my fellow birders  when I told him. He had spent a couple of hours earlier this week looking for them and although he saw Snipe he had no Jacks!

Sent the final edited draft of Pig the Legend back today so hopefully I can concentrate on new stories.I am recording a couple of stories at the weekend for my friends at Syston who I have visited the last couple of World Book Days.

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on Crime

a) Marshalsea Prison was where Dickens’ father went.   b) The Scream by Edvard Munch is the picture that was stolen – there are four versions two in paint and two in pastel   c) The Hole in the Wall is the pass that was a hideout for outlaws like Butch Cassidy  d) Costa Nostra is another name for the Mafia   e) Speakeasy were  the drinking clubs during prohibition

Today’s Quiz is on Pigs!

a) Who wrote The Sheep Pig?    b) What was the name of the Pig in Charlotte’s Web?  c) Two pigs famously escaped from the abattoir in Malmesbury in 1998  what breed of pig were they?  d) Which Pig was Supreme Commander in Animal Farm?  e) Which country has more pigs than humans?

Pintails in flight