Christine's walking & birds blog

I had the results of my X-ray this morning, which showed mild arthritis on the inside of the knee. The doctor said there was nothing else they could do, but advised gentle exercise. So I went out for a local walk, and along the river path I saw a lovely firecrest. It was on November 2nd last year that I caught a brief glimpse of a probable firecrest along the recycling road, just north of the village. I feel this one confirms that one (this one was first seen by another birder). 

I went back in the afternoon but couldn't relocate the bird.  A dipper flew calling up the river as I stood on the wooden bridge; it took a diversion up and around me (I'm sure it would normally just go under the bridge) and disappeared round the bend. Wandering back upstream myself, I was surprised to find that it hadn't gone far. I clambered up the bank and took some pictures on "landscape" setting to get past the twigs.

Meanwhile my car is in the garage. Greger took it in for service and MOT, and when he went to see if it was ready they told him that someone had reversed into it, denting the bumper and breaking the headlight. So it will have to stay there until they can get the parts. They offered him a courtesy car which he said he was tempted to take just on principle; but his honesty got the better of him and he declined, knowing that I couldn't have driven it anyway!