Painted Lady and Red Kite

I can always tell when I've been neglecting my wifely duties, as is normally manifests in the running out of underwear. So while I was out this morning, and knew I had to return fairly early so that I could get some washing ton. Therefore, I was in the House to hear the radio four programme World on the Move. While I do listen to this as a podcast, it is rare for me to be able to catch it as a live broadcast.

I have mentioned in previous postings about this programme, and I dare say it will again, as this is quite inventive of the BBC to broadcast such a project. However my reason for mentioning the programme today is that of the two of the species that they're asking listeners to track, one of them I have seen already just three days ago. While sitting at the computer when I noticed something fly past the window, I looked out expecting to see a bird, and there was a painted lady butterflies sitting on my window ledge. I quickly grabs the video camera, but in the time it takes for the electronics to warm up the butterfly has flown off. Had I got the film of the butterfly I would have mentioned it at the time here, as I thought it was early for this species. Yet by listening to the programme today, I realised that the butterfly painted Lady is at least two weeks early here. Another effect of climate change.

While my wildlife watching this morning had not yielded up much that was worth reporting, it is still been pleasant to be out. And it was wild if I was having a cup of tea following a late lunch, that out of the living room window and saw one of the red kites fly over.

My poor neighbours must wonder what goes on in my place at times as I ran straight up the stairs to grab both video and still camera. When I got back downstairs, the red kite was no longer incite. But awaited as I know from experience, when they are all about they tend to fly in a pattern where there quartering the fields looking for false or shoes or beetles. My decision to wait was rewarded as into a very clear expanse of sky the red kite gracefully gliding over.

After taking the still images, I waited at longer to see if that kite returned but it is policy flown off. However it did find it rather amusing that one young mother returning with her child from infants school, had to, mildly, chastise the child after it said something mildly rude about me that was obviously a repeat of something that an adult had said, previously in the child's hearing. Personally I don't worry about what the neighbours think, if they think I'm eccentric then so be it. The one thing I haven't lost as an adult is the ability to see the world as a child, with wonder and excitement.

A Link to the World on the Move Website