29 Aug 2010 4:31 AM

Soon, I have a birthday coming up which will take me to my official 'state pensionable' age, and I did not want my wife feeling the need to purchase something for me that I may not really want so I pre empted it all when the only fully water proof summer jacket-I bought from a 'charity shop'-began to let in water round the shoulders.

A few weeks ago, I purchased my first light weight waterproof boots, instead of having to use cheaper but heavier boots, which has the brand name of Berghaus, of which I am very satisfied with, so I trundled back to the shop, that took time out to make sure I would be fully satisfied with my walking footwear purchase, and hoped that the members of staff would give me the same consideration when buying a jacket. 

Before going to the specialist 'outdoor wear' shop, I traunched the Internet to get comparison prices, for the quality of coat I was looking for, and I have to say that, once again, Berghaus was not too bad a price to pay.

The young man, who helped me and my wife while I was trying on the coats in the specialist clothing shop, could not have been more helpful for my criteria was to be able to wear several layers, under the coat, for use in the depths of winter when I go out for a walk.  He took the extra clothing into account when trying to find the size of clothing I would need.

I am pleased to tell you that I am now the proud owner of a jacket I have been envious to wear for many years and, would you believe, there was a 15% price reduction on my purchase.

I was able to get my jacket in the afternoon and in the evening; my wife and I went out-not just to try out the new coat- to meet friends who we had arranged to meet on an evening's Bat watch.

To my surprise, 18 people turned out and several of them were only dressed in their day time clothing but experience has told me, when there are no clouds, it can become very cold at night and I was pleased I had-on top of two or three more layers of clothing- put on my new coat. 

Just before it began to get dark, the entire group trooped off-behind the Bat expert-and we went to a location where there was a bat roost in the eves of an old house but, would you believe, not tonight. 

Not put off by the shortage of Bats, for my friend was not picking up any Bat sounds from his frequency modulator, (A devise to hear and play back any sounds bats could be making,) we walked on until we came to the side of an open lake that was surrounded by trees. 

I wondered why we had come to the lake for I was expecting to go into an old tunnel or maybe a cave. 

Within seconds of arriving at the lake, my friend's modulators sprang into life and all manner of noises came out of the small handsets.  Out came the torches and as soon as they were switched on several Bats could be seen flying around and above us.

The trees, as our light beams shone on their darkened forms, took on new shapes and looked eerie and the sightings reminded me of some of the trees I have, in the past, seen in horror movies for they looked deformed and narled. 

Seeing the bats was a pleasure all of its own but to hear the commentary, about the bats, made the evening very special.

Has is sometimes the case, when the night has come in fully, the temperatures rose slightly and I felt snug in my new garment although some of my friends were clearly feeling the cold and went home early.

The light, from all our torches, not only attracted the Bats, they also brought in moths and one moth, a large grey looking thing, dropped to the ground for us all to have a good look at.  Out came the books, now in full darkness apart from the torches, where everybody scrambled to try to get to know what the strange ragged edged moth was.

From there, we began to make our way back to where we had left our vehicles and while we were walking, I marvelled at the clear looking night for there were hardly any clouds and there was a bright shining full moon to aid us while we were walking.

Although the air was thin, for you could hear every sound in its exaggerated forms, the moon's light was crystal clear and our outing suddenly turned into looking for satellites and trying to define what all the bright shining stars were.

'Look.' Someone shouted.  'I can see the Great Bear,'and on it went.

Until recently, I used to go out night walking, on my own, on a regular basis but I now feel my age will no longer let me do this and I have to say I miss going out at dusk and at night for it is a magical time when all the day light birds are settling for the night and outcome the night time hunters. 

Every sighting we see, in the day light, has a different look in the night when a full moon casts its shadows and I love it.

By for now,

John.       

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21 Aug 2010 1:01 AM

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21 Aug 2010 12:59 AM

Over the past two or three days, I have been able to go to different nature reserves.

The weather men and women have been telling us that heavy rain was due all week but sometimes they get it wrong and I am pleased that that was the case. 

As you know, we were on the Moor earlier in the week, yesterday we were at an RSPB site (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and today, Friday, I was at another reserve.

Yesterday, my wife and I went to the RSPB site due to it being flat and easy for her to walk round. 

Every year, since the RSPB have taken over the area, the site gets better and better. 

Usually, when I have been to this site, I send an email to tell the staff how pleased I am with the site's progress but, on this occassion, I confronted the reception staff, to give them my views, and you would have thought I had given them lots of money for they became very emotional. 

This year, after extensive work on making reed beds from Phragmitese saplings, the reed beds are now thick, strong and high in the hope or supporting breeding Bitterns.  We went at the wrong time of the day, mid afternoon, to be able to get decent views of the bird so we did not stay in the hide for long.

Usually, and yesterday was no exception, hides are full of people and if they begin to ask me questions, I do not get anything done and have nothing to see to make my visit interesting and enjoyable.  I now go into hides with the intention of keeping very quiet. 

We had not been in the 'Bittern Hide' long when the people in the hide, along side of us, realised that I was knowledgeable and, before the questions started, we moved out of the hide and walked to other new hides on the site.

To some people, may think this kind of behaviour, from me, may seem to be rude but it is not meant to be that way.

Today, Friday, I was at one of my favourite reserves, visiting a small pond area I had been to many times before, and no sooner had I sat down than I was blessed with a sighting of a bird I have never seen before. 

The bird in front of me, of which I was able to photograph and film, was a Little Egret.  Sigtings of this bird, although far and few between, depending on which part of the country you come from, have been seen before but, for me, this was a first and I savoured every moment before telling others that the bird was on site.

After leaving he hide, although I did make a few notes, I met so many people, some old friends, that three hours had passed before I knew it.  It was only my rumbling tummy that gave me some indication of the time being something past noon.  Has it happened, it was more like 2 in the afternoon.

Earlier in the month, I thought I had seen the last of the summer visiting Swallows but I was to be proven wrong because, while sitting in a hide and only a couple of feet away from where I was sitting, a Swallow was still sitting on eggs. 

My day turned out to be one of the best for some time, due to seeing the Egret, and going home late was just one of those things we have to put up with when having a wonderful time.

I will put a photo on the next blog.

John. 

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21 Aug 2010 12:18 AM

My late father was a very keen angler and would have been devastated to learn about Old Benson.

Yesterday, I tried to get the fish'e photo to come up at the same time as the news letter but, try as I would, I could not do it.

This time, although the photo is not a good one, you can get an idea of the size of Benson before the Carp died.

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20 Aug 2010 1:39 AM

Anglers are mourning the death of Britain's biggest common carp after the famous fish was found poisoned in a lake.
The 25-year-old, dubbed Benson, weighed a staggering 64lb (29kg) - more than a large dog - and was worth £20,000.

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