Remember the summer?

It was a Tuesday afternoon – I know I was there.

Seriously, it was a splendid day so I went up on the Ridgeway for some wide open space, fresh air and sunshine. Walked for hours and did some fact-checking for the book.

I also got a bit snap happy.

The results are here if you want a little dash of summer scenes.

Thank you very much for all your comments and e-mails. I’m wading through and promise to answer them all very pronto.

There be dragons

It’s high summer so I decided to go out walking in a T-shirt and eschew the safety net of a waterproof.

Got drenched. I think even the warden on the Otmoor reserve thought I was stark-staring nuts, dripping from head to foot, garbling about the amazing stuff I’d seen.

But who could blame me. For about an hour I watched a pair of hobbies hawking for dragonflies among the reeds of the fen or occasionally giving chase to a swallow. They really look like they show off their acrobtaic skills just because they can.

You might have guessed there’s a big species list but I’ll limit it to little egret, yellow loosestrife, brown hawker dragonfly, common darter, tufted vetch and a singing grasshopper warbler.

Tell me if I’m going mad. I’m sure the insane are the last to know about it.

Sadly, I shall miss Claire’s wedding celebration in France this weekend because of a family christening but congratulations and good luck to Claire and David and all of those of you joining her.

Beware of otters

…especially at cash point machines. They’re thieving little devils.

You know you’re getting old when you’re senses start deceiving you. I was standing at an ATM when the screen flashed up this dire warning about our lovable furry, fishers.

Beware of otters? I mused whilst moving on to heart attacks about my cash balance and similarly disturbed that my brain had only caught up with the message after I’d keyed in my number.

I was so perplexed I had to annoy everyone by re-inserting my card to read it again.

Of course, it said: “Beware of others…looking over you shoulder etc etc.”

Yawn…more wildlife

There’s some torrential rain on the way (just for a change) so I belted out to the countryside to get my fix.

Visited a wee place I’d never been to before – Dry Sandford – and what a treat. It’s a mixture of sandy cliffs, wet fen and mixed woodland.

Saw some grand stuff including marsh helleborine, common spotted orchid, musk mallow and dove’s foot cranesbill. I know Fernanda will be upset to hear that I didn’t see many birds this time but many are going into their quiet, post-breeding moult now. Was relieved to see quite a few butterflies tho – I thought the prolonged wet weather would have been disastrous for them.

A few of you have been asking about the book. Well, I reckon I’ve reached about half way. Sixteen chapters down but still a long way to go.

I really fancy getting out for a swish meal if anyone’s interested.

Stop press: Squadrons of swifts at Troy Towers this morning so I’m breathing easier. It never ceases to amaze me how such delicate creatures can stand up to the elements.

Water world

When the swifts first arrived there was a squadron of 10 screeching round Headington chimney tops. In a break between the hail storms this afternoon I spotted three forlorn-looking fellas and two bedraggled house martins. I fear the worst.

Is it ever going to buck up? Poor Steve is stranded in Cornwall with three kids under the age of six and I don’t imagine it’s any better down there. Two months of near constant rain isn’t funny any more.

However – Mort and family are due here next week and the ol’ boy never fails to bring a fine and settled spell with him. Break out the factor 30.

I will also try to post up some fresh pix, even if it’s of Oxford-super-Mare.