Sunday, February 08, 2009

New garden tick

When I was knee high to a woodlouse, I began collecting: marbles, milk bottle tops, cigarette cards, cigarette packets, car numbers.....
Later, the numbers from 1-10 in various languages, birds' eggs, photos of Esther Williams.....
The collecting habit dies hard, so you will not be surprised to hear that I have a list of birds seen in or from the garden. The big boys have lists around 120, mine is nearer 90, but whatever it is, it went up by one this morning:- a Goldcrest appeared briefly on the hebe just outside my back door. Right, you remembered:- Britain's smallest bird, but a big event for me.
Listen, I know it's pathetic - we males ARE pathetic - but birding is an obsession that keeps me out of mischief. Go figure, as my San Diegan friends would say.

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