The Curlews have gone......

Actually I think they went a few weeks ago but I was hoping they hadn't. Today the Goyt was hot,steamy, windless and curlewless. Only eight months till they come back. I guess they have moved back to the coast where the feeding is easier and richer.



If there was a lack of bird life then there was a profusion of butterfiles



I don't know a lot about them but there were several different ones.



These seemed to really like the thistles.

It was too hot even for the sky larks. Apart from a couple of crows the only other birds that I saw were the ducks on the pond, trying to avoid the idiots that let their dogs bathe and cool off in it.

I managed to keep my counsel but it was a close run thing as one fool threw a stick for her dog to go and collect. There was a brief flurry of movement as the ducks scattered to get out of the way.

Tomorrow I'm Cycling to Wrexham

But tonight I'm drinking red wine. Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. I'm a fair weather cyclist you see. What is Wrexham like I wonder on a damp July evening? Hopefully I will find out so I'll let you know.

Bet you can't wait.

I know I'm Sad but.....

I discover that digital radio had arrived in the Peak District quite by accident. It was around 3.00am a couple of weeks ago,and I was drifting in and out of sleep to the World Service. There was a crash and I was wide awake. My ear felt sore and after a few seconds I realised that my radio (DAB ready) had slipped from its perch by the side of the bed and fallen to the floor jerking as it did so the ear piece from my ear. I reached down and picked it up. As I searched for the World Service I accidentally pressed the DAB button and the "searching for station" text appeared on the little screen. I waited for it to return the message "station not found". A second later I was listening to BBC 7. I was gob smacked and then I excitedly searched for the other stations. They were there! I could get digital radio. It was like Christmas. I turned to share the excitement and joy with Mrs BW. Then thought better of it. Best to keep it to myself until the morning.