April 24, 2006
local stuff, scope whinge
It's been a while since the last update, due in part to being busy (why oh why did I agree to give a 45 minute talk in French to the department?), and part to the ongoing saga of my scope. After waiting 3 weeks for a quote for the repairs, I was finally told that Leica doesn't have a policy of glueing broken parts back on, and would have to replace the whole of the body armour, which would cost... 900 Euros!!! I bought the scope when it was about 6 months old (thus voiding the warranty, apparently) for somewhat less than their repair quote, so guess I'll repair it myself with superglue. When my Swarovski bins (also bought used) had a similar mechanical problem, Swarovski's US branch fixed the problem for free, and replaced the body armour at no extra cost. So, Swarovski one, Leica nil.
Anyway, back to birds. The oak trees in my garden are really beginning to leaf out, and are consequently attracting much bird activity from the local Blackcaps (Fauvette à tête noire)...
... and Willow Warblers (Pouillot fitis).
I've been hearing lots from male Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (Pic epeichette) both in my street and on campus. They have done a good job of eluding the camera so far, but here are a couple of 'record shots' I was able to grab on the way to work.
Spring is slowly but surely advancing here: Bluebells have finally appeared en masse in the woods around the campus...
... and Hedgehogs are making their presence felt in my neighbourhood.
