I've not posted since Saturday - I've simply been basking in the afterglow of my latest "big" fish (I caught two on Sunday and together they wouldn't have weighed 10lbs) and the feeling of achievement; it's been a long road! As an individual, I have made the 14th March the final day of my pike fishing season (in England) - in keeping with my roots when the coarse season started on 16th June and ended on 14th March (15th March - 15th June, inclusive, being the close season)
With work commitments and Mother's Day; I might just get in one more session before I get the pike gear back into the loft, until we head north in May. There's always the March PAC meeting; it's going to be fun - at long last we have something positive to report.
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| Sampling a glass of the "local" ambiance - watching Honey Buzzards migrating in Corfu (Sept 2004) |
I have been browsing the blogs, which form my daily routine, and find myself reading about a "whistle-stop" birding trip to Morocco. No dis-respect to Jono, he has no need to offer an excuse to me for how he seeks enjoyment or how the limitations of work and family commitments impact on his ability to spend time in the pursuit of "life experiences". The concept of travelling any sort of distance and being unable to savour some of the ambiance is completely alien to me. If I travel for 3 hours on a plane, then I need two weeks to get over it. The only time that I have made such a trip was when England played Portugal, in the 1975 European Championships (The Angolan crisis was in full swing and Lisbon was full of refugees), QPR had five members of the England squad (Phil Parkes, Ian Gillard, Dave Clements, Gerry Francis and Dave Thomas) only one played, we drew 1-1 and got knocked out. To cap it all, I asked Phil Parkes to sign my Union Jack. He asked me where I came from (he hadn't made the bench); when I told him his reply summarised all that is wrong with football "You must be some sort of c**t!" Nice!; it had cost me more than two weeks wages for a three day trip with the England Supporters Club. So, no, I don't do whistle-stop visits anymore. Since Bev and I got married we have tried to get a fortnight away, every year. If we fail, then we get two the next!
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| Now this would be a nice addition to the Newland's patch list - a Black-eared Wheatear |
This brings me nicely onto the the subject of doing things your own way. The technology that is available to us, via the world wide web, ensures that we are able to make a virtual visit before any money is spent. Bev requires little more than guaranteed sunshine and a pool; I want to be able to go wandering without risk of aggro. Spain and the Balearic's, France, The Canary Islands, Greece and Turkey have all proven to be places which are able to provide the holidays we seek. I realise that these destinations are hardly pushing at the boundaries of "life experience" yet they are all capable of producing encounters with unfamiliar species which allows me to find enjoyment. Habitats and terrain are also very different from those I have experienced within a UK context, so much to be explored in a fortnight. I don't seek the assistance of a guide, if I'm not good enough to find it, then so be it - it will be there next time.
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Eupholidoptera chabrieri - a Bush Cricket from Corfu (It's only taken me 9 years to find out what it's called!)
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| Sunrise over Sithonia (Mount Atos in the background) - don't forget to smell the flowers! |
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