Other People's Hobbies

Everyone needs a hobby. But I'm puzzled at the appeal of twitching. Yet I also love birds especially their songs.I remember many many years ago the excitement of getting to know how to identify different birds from appearance and the sounds they made. But once I had a good idea about most of the native species that satisfied me. The idea of traveling many miles and lugging heavy photographic equipment across awkward land would take away the joy and fun of the countryside which I enjoy. A couple of years ago a Dartford Warbler was seen on Burbage and then for a time on Blacka Moor. Cars from many miles away filled the Piper House car park and thousands of pounds worth of cameras and optical gear were carefully balanced on expensive tripods. Probably very few pictures were taken

Meanwhile Blacka Blogger was a hundred yards away getting enormous pleasure from the singing of a few common species.

This week according to the bulletin of the Sheffield Bird Study Group the following species were reported to have been seen on Blacka:

Little Owl - 1 regularly at Strawberry Lees Lane, Woodcock -
2-4 roding plus one roding over Cricket Inn, Curlew - 1, Cuckoo - 2
singing, Whinchat: 2+ males, Wheatear - 5+ Strawberry Lees
Pastures, Grasshopper Warbler - 2 reeling, Willow Tit - pair at
Strawberry Lees Lane, Lesser Redpoll - 2 so far including one
song-flighting