Punishment brings reward (1 Viewer)

I'm recovering from a fairly serious operation and not yet up to doing my full patch walk of about 5 miles. Today I ran out of excuses and decided to do a couple of miles, including a hilly section.

Good start. Buzzard and a few Mistle Thrushes within a couple of hundred yards of home. The local resident was at home in a place I call Kestrel corner.

The walk to the top of the hill was a struggle, with only a corvid flock, some Starlings and Woodpigeons on the ploughed fields. A long rest ensued but a beautiful day and a view that I haven't seen for about 3 months was lovely.

That wasn't my reward. Stopping to look into some trees about 60 yards away, I was convinced that I could see a bird. Then I decided it was the end of a branch but as I started to put my binoculars down, the bird hopped up on to the next branch. Tawny Owl! Another long stop ensued as it sat there, basking in the sun. This is probably only the fourth time that I' ve actually seen a Tawny Owl, though I hear them most weeks.

The walk took a couple of hours. I ached before I started and I ache in different places now. I bet the doctor will not be impressed that the walk took so long and won't understand why.

I'm so pleased to hear that you're well on the road to recovery now Pat. However far, or however long it it, the main thing is that you felt up to doing it at all. It can only get better now.

I remember some years ago walking along a country lane and could swear I could see a Little Owl on top of a hedge (the light was beginning to go!) I got my bins up, creeping slowly along until .... ummmm. yeah it was a bare bit of branch! I still haven't (identifiably) seen one!