So, let me set the scene, as it were, it's 5:20am and I have a little over an hour of my current night shift to work! Having only had 3 hours sleep yesterday, fatigue is kicking in big time now and, where a normal, sensible person, would be thinking only of handing over to his relief before racing off home to bed, I'm currently more than aware that I've, very soon, got to drive round a couple of site's in Shropshire looking for a rather plain little brown wader on what is a pretty chilly morning, I can tell you.
Let me explain further, I arrived at work last night to recieve a call from my good mate Andy, who was informing me of a Pectoral Sandpiper which was found the day before on Mire Lake (an area owned by British Sugar, therefore strictly permit only.... w*****s!!). But he had managed to arrange viewing for this morning for a few hours. Brilliant, only it's a clear night and apparently the current choice of site isn't brilliant habitat. So, Andy then asks me.... Firstly - "Can you stick the news out"... Which I do, clearly stating where to park and to NOT try and enter the usual Beet Factory way (which I bet some d***head tries to do!!).
Secondly - "I bet it pushes off from here, not a good site really, can you check out VP in the morning?".... To which I reply Yes! (I'll be running on sheer adreneline by then!)
Should the bird have relocated there, all well and good, I'll 'tick' it and then f*** off to bed and leave everyone else to search for it (selfish I know, but hey! How much sleep you had in the last 36 hours, eh?).
However, and running on VP's recent (well, pretty much all year), run of dire luck (no wader's much at all), it'll either stay at the lake (which means I'll have to drive up there & freeze my nads off for a further hour), or it'll have gone altogether and I shant be able to sleep because I'll be worried to death of it being relocated later in the day at another site (or worse still VP!!), and I'll have been well truly gripped off!!!
So, what will happen in the next few hours?... Will the Pec be 'on show' at Mire Lake? Will yours truly relocate it at VP? Will anyone actually give a s*** what I do? For answers to these questions and mroe you'll have to tune in later.... (or whenever I can be arsed to do my next write up!!)....
TO BE CONTINUED......
(P.S. - Just so you know, I've seen 2 Pec Sands in previous years in Shropshire, incl. a bird at VP.... Just dont like missing on the 'good ones' which turn up.... We dont get many decent birds.... *sob!!*.... ) |
