Have to start with the football! Tremendous win by the Lionesses today- the whole game ebbed and flowed. Certainly Wembley  looked a much better place than the fiasco of last year! talking of football I went to watch the Mighty Hatters yesterday ridiculous the season starting in July Sadly we were not sharp enough in front of goal against a poor Birmingham side.

Some recent bird pictures below. The last three mornings taking Jake out I have seen a Hobby perched in a dead tree-one of my favourite birds. Sadly I didn’t have the camera when two Great Crested Grebes came up close with chicks on their backs. Still a Black Swan was a surprise when I did have my camera!   (not great pictures but enjoy!)

The title refers to our lodger for this week who is having his holiday with us. Picture below!

I mentioned it was our monthly bird survey on Thursday. Not that many warblers to be seen but we were fortunate to be by the River Severn when the Bore came up so there was plenty of action. Almost 100 Curlews, plenty of Shelducks, a few Avocets, Dunlin and Oystercatchers. I have written before how fascinating it is to watch the Bore it is different every time! We did see a Tree Pipit only the second time one has turned up on our surveys which we have been doing for almost eight years now.Also at the end there was that flash of electric blue as a Kingfisher sped past!

Off to the “Theatre of Tattered Dreams” tomorrow for the first game of the football season in July because of the stupidity of having a World Cup in November!

Birding themes today!

Couple of great fly past in the garden this week. A Hobby flew over the garden as I was putting the bins out. Think I have only seen one before from the garden. They are wonderful birds to watch especially when hunting dragonflies over water.

We have had at least three Sparrowhawk fly throughs this week, but no kills in the garden. The birds all scatter for cover and it goes quiet for a while. Tomorrow is our monthly bird survey out by the River tomorrow not sure it will be as good as the June survey but you never know!

Short blog today.

Gloucestershire Seniors Cricketers  travelled to Chepstow to play Wales. Sadly after a great bowling and fielding display we rather lost our way batting- I blame the captain’s batting order! I might even decide to open the batting next week!

Super afternoon in the Slad Valley (Laurie Lee country) where we joined  friends for a Cider Tasting and a brilliant illuminating talk by Rod on Cider. There were many fascinating asides about taste, appearance, marketing for different groups etc.

Off to play cricket against Wales tomorrow!

I captured these two creatures on my phone in the garden on Friday night. We used to see or hear them quite often in the past. I saw one in the day time earlier in the week but sadly Hedgehogs have had a bad time in recent years. wasn’t sure if it was a mating ritual or a territorial dispute! Whatever it is good to see them! Another positive from our garden is we recorded 18 bird species last week and that doesn’t include the Oystercatchers, Terns and Martins flying over or the Sparrowhawk that shot through at speed.

Apologies for the technical difficulties with the blog yesterday!

I am currently researching stories for the Two Severn Bores gig in September. We are trying to extend  our River Severn show  into River Journeys.

Finished for the summer at Wick Court with an entertaining bird watch with young people from Peckham yesterday. One positive note is we have recorded Linnets for eight successive weeks. Sadly I haven’t been able to Story Tell for them because of other commitments.

One of which was visiting family in Exeter today and having fun with my ever smiling ten month old granddaughter Ellen. We have her visiting us on Saturday as well to look forward to.

It was a relief that it isn’t so hot today!!!

Wow!!! I think last night was the hottest night ever! I was up bright and early and went for ride before it became unbearable and dangerous! I mentioned before our cricket was cancelled for today that is the first time I have had a game called off because it was too hot! I agree with the decision- safety has to come first.

I do find it difficult to write at the moment- my work room is South facing so it is conducive to being creative!

Went round to my next door neighbours last night to check they were ok and I was taken up to their bedroom to look out on a House Martin’s nest and under their gutter and could see a young bird looking out. I was jealous- I put a special nesting box up a few years ago and never has it been used!

This morning I set of for the third time searching for the surprise Turtle Dove in the nearby village of Epney. Yesterday early morning had been another fruitless search and once again it had appeared after I had left. At long last I caught a couple of sightings one It was perched on the top of a tree, I also heard that distinctive purring call. (picture below is not mine- didn’t get a chance to get the camera out. Delighted to see one in Gloucestershire they sadly are increasingly rare.

Nearly titled the blog “Catch of the Century” following the club match I played yesterday. I have mentioned before that my team are all under half my age. So as senior citizen I am looked after in the field. I was fielding at a wide slip to a leg spinner, the batsmen top edged it and the old man leapt high like salmon (an arthritic one) bent backwards and snaffled the ball in my outstretched left hand. Not sure who was most surprised me, the batsmen or my team mates! They called it “Catch of the Century” which I think is a wild  exaggeration but I was chuffed! We won easily and I didn’t need to bat. It looks like my seniors game on Tuesday might be called off because of the weather being so hot!!!!!

An action packed morning! We said goodbye to the delightful Owen this morning and the house seems a quieter and  emptier place now. We had to take to his parents in   Cirencester and then I had to rush to Story Tell at Wick Court.

We had hoped to see the Turtle Dove that has turned up in Epney and only the seventh recorded Caspian Tern in Gloucestershire. Sadly we missed both but had lunch by the river. I may pedal early morning to see if they turn up..