A Deluge of Birds

Captains Log - Saturday 7th June.

My Saturday morning ritual has just been thrown by the prediction of a months rainfall in a single hour. I generally like to go for an hours river bank wander while little miss Forté is off pony riding, it's a habitual attempt to right the wrongs of the sedentary week just passed.

The storm came early this morning so I successfully managed to kid myself that I'd stay dry, so I took the deluded stroll down to Pin Mill with only one eye on the solid black clouds above, seemingly immune to the BBC severe weather warning. Sadly my internal barometer appears to have jammed firmly on the la la not listening setting.

A few moments ago the heavens predictably deposited the said months rain in what seemed like 5 minutes, so I have bloused out and run for cover to the Butt and Oyster. It's pelting down, really sheeting. I have managed to bag the window seat, the best booze fuelled Bird Hide in Suffolk. Fear not, 9.30 is a little early for an Adnams so I've done the responsible thing and gone for a Latte.

As soon as I sit down and stare out of the panes the damn rain stops dead and the sun wakes up, then the most amazing thing happens... all the birds wake up too, masses of them - dozens of Oystercatchers, Redshanks, a Curlew, an Egret, a Lapwing, a dancing Pied Wagtail couple, a Plover, Gulls of most varieties, bombing Common Terns, Swallows, Amazons, Cormorants on the horizon, Brent Geese, Sandpipers and a Godwit of some description. Blimey, Springwatch eat your heart out, my prime seat is like a micro Minsmere.

I'd better dash as the sky is a bipolar blue/black and I need to get back up to the yard before it's starts hailing, probably. I had every intention to write a post on Springwatch at Minsmere this week but maybe that can wait. There's two Swans looking up at the sky, maybe they know something I don't.