Short blog today. I turned out today for my cricket club and yes I was the oldest player on the pitch. However, the “Old Man”  thoroughly enjoyed himself in the field with a diving stop to a fierce drive. His big moment came when the batsman thought they could take a quick single to the “Old Man”. I came running in and picked up the ball dived forward to hit the stumps with an underarm throw. I was delighted and my team mates mobbed me afterwards. We won as well!

We had a lovely walk yesterday morning on Cam Peak. At this time of the year it is festooned with bluebells (they are just going over but still delightful). Some pictures below.

I went on a training ride yesterday – I am clocking up the miles because I doing the Dartmoor Classic in the middle of June.

I have been looking for hobbies over the last couple of days with no luck. Plenty of common terns on the lake. One picture below.

The title refers to the disaster of Saturday where my football team surprisingly capitulated! It was a painful day and we all left feeling numb after a second relegation in successive years. It is still raw but hopefully we will bounce back straight away.

Travelled down to Devon yesterday to be 12th man for cricket. I managed to filed for the whole 45 overs so was aching afterwards! I am turning out for club side on Saturday where I am almost certain to be the oldest player in the game.

Did my weekly volunteering session bird watching with young people at Wick Court. Sadly the birds were thin on the ground

Tonight I went looking for Hobbies who have arrived recently but no luck. I did see that incredible traveller the Arctic Tern in amongst some Common Terns.

The title might sound like one of my story telling gigs! It of course refers to my football team the Mighty Hatters who travel to the Midlands hoping to continue their good form and avoid successive relegations. I am a complete bag of nerves as I get ready for the game. There are so many permutations so my fingers will be firmly crossed.

Changing the subject I did hear the bittern again this morning. I did go looking for Hobbies earlier in the week but didn’t see one but have now heard a cuckoo. A couple of pictures below of a blackbird, a heron and my first common tern of the summer (a distant speck!)

My last blog had the title “Boom, Boom” and I was talking about the bittern. Today the Boom was a thunder! We even are currently having some rain! The garden certainly needs it- we were talking about watering earlier!

I returned to Wick Court yesterday to do my volunteering (bird watching with young people) and tonight before the rain I cycled to do story telling there.

I didn’t play cricket on Tuesday for Gloucestershire Seniors but I was 12th man. Hoping I might get a game next week.

I had been told by at least three people that the bittern had been booming in the reed bed at Splatt Bridge. I made a few visits to try and listen  with now success. Finally yesterday I heard it from my house on three occasions.

Maybe he was celebrating the Mighty Hatters last gasp victory on Saturday. The roof nearly came off the ground with the explosion of joy when the goal was scored! Now have a nervy Saturday ahead but at least it is in our hands! Having said that I am sure I won’t have any fingernails left!  A win and we are safe!

I was also delighted to see both siskins and a chiffchaff in our garden yesterday. Previously we have only seen siskins in the garden on a couple of occasions. Pictures below are from Dorset last week- a stonechat, guillemots on the sea, a razorbill and ironically a siskin on the feeder at Arne!

Below is a selection of photos from Thursday’s gig in Marlborough and one from last month’s gig at South Cerney. Both gigs were in schools with building sites close by,  E.G. Carters Construction Company employed me to do stories looking with a safety theme.

Picture by Clint Randall 

Once more -where has he been? Well Wednesday was my usual volunteering day at Wick Court taking young people bird watching. A great day and all the groups of children got good views of a kestrel hovering. One group got a female blackcap while another had the male!

Thursday we were up with the larks so to speak because I was storytelling near Marlborough. Clare came with me and we popped in on an old friend who has been ill. We then went on down to Dorset visiting Arne and Durlston Country Park, both favourite haunts of ours.

Tomorrow is an another start as I travel with trepidation to watch the Mighty Hatters in yet another must win game.

Below are a few bird pictures from the last couple of days more to follow! I have loads of story telling pictures from yesterday to add but need time to edit the downloads!

The title refers to the Mighty Hatters relegation battle that at least will go to the last game! An excellent performance yesterday saw us win back to back games for the first time since September. The only downside is our fellow relegation candidates won as well!!! Just hope we can win on Saturday which with the way the fixtures are we could get out of the bottom three. Everything (fingers and toes) will be firmly crossed!!!!!!

We had a lovely weekend with our grandsons. The whole family stayed the night as well which was a bonus. The boys loved their visit to Slimbridge and Robin was delighted looking at the flamingos. They also enjoyed the otters!

I went bird watching this afternoon. Didn’t see  much but snapped some photos of our garden and a thrush- see below plus an otter the boys were watching.