Earthbound

Gus looked up briefly, spotted the camera, and quickly hid his head again.  Just one shot of him looking towards me, it's not perfectly sharp, but never mind.  He is very much a senior dog now, his walks are slow and punctuated by stops every few metres to investigate scent marks.  On the other hand, he does seem to be on good form.  He sleeps a lot, yet he's quite active around meal and walk times.  He has a very good appetite.  Back in August when we nearly lost him, his kidney function was very poor, and on that basis, the vet estimated he might be with us for another three months at most.  Seven months on, there's no sign he's ailing in any way.

The Jazz went in today to have its brakes fixed.  Outside the Station Garage in Milnthorpe there was a chiffchaff chiffchaffing at 0820.  That was my second singing chiffchaff this year, the first was on Tuesday 15th this week in Redhills Wood.  Singing chiffchaffs for me really do mark the beginning of the Spring, heralding the arrival of our Summer visitors.  Last week I heard a singing blackcap in Arnside, probably a wintering bird tuning up before heading back to somewhere in central Europe.  There are sand martins flying over the pools at Leighton Moss, and the avocets are back at the salt marsh pools.  All our blackbirds are now singing, see extra of one in deep cover in the hedge protected by brambles and blackthorn, a wise bird as I have seen a sparrowhawk twice in the last week manoeuvring tightly and deftly between the shrubs trying to take passerines by surprise.

We have some warm days ahead, will we see Reg before the weekend is over?  If so, there will be a blip for those blippers who look forward to seeing him each Spring (and I missed blipping last Spring altogether).