Cooped up!

Today we had a trip over to Hartsholme park in the hope of seeing some of my favourite birds, the Great Crested Grebe. There were some there but my camera lens barely picked them up, and even Brian's one didn't get a close enough view. Shame as one was carrying a chick on its back - something I would love to photograph!

I should make clear that I am not a bird watcher at all! I like to see some birds, like grebes, swans, kestrels, magpies etc. because they are pretty, but I would NEVER get up at 4AM to stand in a muddy field for hours waiting to glimpse something that to the naked eye is indistinguishable from a pigeon just because it is apparently rare, and I need to cross it off my list! Many bird watchers I've met don't even seem interested in birds beyond the "tick" factor, and are just a different strain of Anorak Wearer, along with bus spotters, train spotters and aeroplane sick-bag collectors!

Talking of pigeons, I'm blipping some today because I liked how they were sitting on their coop!