dabchick avenue

Now who wrote that song?

I mentioned the other day that I had a stroll down the river just before the snow, not enough work to do strolling around I dont know.

Anyway apart from the cormorants in the trees and a couple of kingfishers it ws great to see and hear Little Grebes or Dabchicks as we used to call them and some still do.

As I walked the stretch from Fen Road Milton to Clayhithe bridge there was over a dozen, a couple near the start which was nice they are lovely little birds all squat and you wonder how they can dive then they do it. Further on by the willows in the picture there were 8 more and these were great, as I got closer they moved closer to the bank where the willows grew but kept on diving and coming back up and when on the surface keeping an eye on me. With all 8 bobbing up and down there were always a couple on the surface and it was like watching mice popping up and down. Moving on past this group I came to the last group a little gang of 4 again all bobbing up and down this time using a thin strip of reeds to peep at me from. On the way back after passing them again there came the quietish braying laugh that is there call which again made me smile.

So that stretch of river will live in my mind for today at least as Dabchick Avenue, sad git eh.