Ready, steady ....

Go!!

When I take the dog out for a walk in the morning I often take my camera - it's a blip thing. Mostly nothing happens and I come back photo-less.

This morning, a couple of men were preparing to set off some racing pigeons. The top of the field has been used by generations of pigeon fanciers apparently.

One of the men had been racing pigeons for 61 years!! And he recounted how the fields were once full of skylark song. You can still hear them but they are not so numerous as they once were. His very firm view was that peregrine falcons were to blame. He railed against their protected status. Soon there will be no small birds left. He thought these 'nature boys' had got it wrong.

He informed me that peregrine falcons go after racing pigeons. So I understood where
his passion was coming from. Not being aware of any facts, I listened well while avoiding saying anything which might be taken as agreement.

They let me take some shots of the pigeons being set free. So I stood behind the van while hundreds of pigeons flew straight at me. After two or three pigeon flaps right next to my ear, I began to think this was a stupid place to be.

What we do for our blips.

Went to see fellow blipper AnnieB who has been in hospital recovering from a stroke. She is looking much better than last time I saw her. The visit was cut short as she had to go and have a leg brace fitted. She is making great progress.