Sunrise and mist

The sunrise has been getting a bit too early for me, but today I woke early wondering where Bob the Cat was. He hadn't appeared during the night as he usually does, and I thought he might be locked in the car again, he sneaks in under the cover of darkness when the door is open. He wasn't there though - the first tinge of fretting was starting when I spotted him in the house looking out at me. I don't know where he had been all night.

I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went up the road to see the sun rise. It had already cleared the horizon, and was just starting to peek over the layer of cloud.

After that I had a quick trip to Leighton Moss. I saw my 102nd bird species for the year on the way, red-legged partridge. On the walk down the causeway, bearded tits were pinging in the reedbeds, water rails were squealing, but no bitterns boomed, and I missed the marsh harrier again. The familiar clamour of black-headed gulls was coming from the open water, they are settling in to breed.

Tomorrow is the long-awaited and much postponed camping trip to the Cairngorms. Billy Boy is indisposed after an accident with a camel in India, the Hairy Man needs to return early for a very important appointment and is currently vaccillating on whether to come. That may leave just the three of us, Mountain Man Simon and fellow blipper Brokenbanjo.

If all goes to plan, I shall be back Tuesday night and back-blipping the gaps. The weather forecast isn't marvellous, but it isn't bad either. The big debate for me is to whether to increase the back pack weight by a kilo to take the telephoto lens - I won't be able to photograph a blackcock lek without it, but then the lek may be so far away I won't be able to photograph it with it. Decisions, decisions.