Monday, March 07, 2011

Back to the Goyt

I switched off the engine and sat in the car for a few moments taking in the familiar but recently much neglected view. I opened the window and listened to the silence. Lilly was getting restless in the back and the Munch who had agreed to come for a walk with me wondered aloud why we weren't getting out. I thought about explaining about the silence but as he had his ipod earphones in decided not to bother.

It was good to be back. Don't know why I stayed away. Inertia? Idleness?

Lilly raced off and then back, worrying us to throw the ball for her while she waited for some Grouse to fly off for her to chase. So intent on the ball was she that she ignored some hapless chap in jogging bottoms and a well worn tee shirt. Normally she would have given chase, deaf to my pleas and commands.

No curlews though. Only a few grouse well out of Lilly's range. So we walked along, father and son, and happy excitable collie, all lost in our various worlds and thoughts.

As we got back to the car, as the light was fading, I heard that familiar cry. Far off across the valley beyond the Wildmoorstone brook, faint, but a curlew nonetheless. "Did you hear that?" I said excitedly to the Munch.

"Yer wat?" he said. He had his headphones on drowning out the silence, so I just smiled and said "Nothing don't worry about it." Then added "me old", just to wind him up.

5 comments:

Ian Plenderleith said...

We were in the Caribbean the week before last and I saw a Hispaniolan lizard cuckoo in a palm tree. My teenage daughters refrained from sharing my excitement to even the tiniest degree, though they did actually stop and look. Probably because I had the key to the hotel room and they'd have had to wait for me anyway at some point.

Rol said...

Very evocative writing. I'm still waiting for the peewits to return to Deer Hill...

Anonymous said...

Saw a dipper for the first time in a river in Austria - and my 22-year-old son took an interest. Happy times.
Good to hear curlew(s) is back.
Lucy

Kate said...

Lovely. I will have to do a search to see if I can find an audio of curlew...

Pity about the earplugs. Mine do it too.

The Birdwatcher said...

SAHIP - I think if we had been in the Caribean then they might have stretched a point.

Rol - They are not back in the Goyt yet either.

Lucy - not seen a dipper this year. I know where they are just to idle to look.

Katherine - Its a wonderful sound, especially first thing in the morning.