Shetland Misfit: November 2014

Sunday, 30 November 2014

Collared

Spent most of the day in Bharatpur looking for one bird - Collared Scops' Owl, after visiting all the known roost sites with no luck, managed to find one at a new site and giving great views to boot. In between checking all the sites, bumped into a few other bits and pieces - several Greater Spotted Eagles, a few Indian Grey Hornbills, 2 Black-necked Storks, a Wryneck, a couple of Black-shouldered Kites and up to 8 Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers.

Black-necked Stork

Black-shouldered Kite

Collared Scops' Owl

Indian Darter

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

Greater Spotted Eagle

Ring-necked Parakeet

Wryneck

Saturday, 29 November 2014

Bharatpur

Two weeks off work and what to do? Idea... try and find a cheap flight to somewhere, and I did and now I'm in India for the next 10 days !!
Starting with a few days at Bharatpur. Now that there are cycle rickshaws and guides for the park, I decided to hire one of them for the day to get a few difficult species, well worth while as they only charge 8 quid for the whole day - and my guide did very well indeed at finding stuff. First up on his challenge was to find me a Dusky Eagle Owl, no problem, we just went to an active nest viewable from the cycle way. Although you could see the bird sitting quite easily, there was no chance of any photos as the nest was about 300 metres away through a tangle of branches. Next up was Large-tailed Nightjar and after 2 hours walking the forest edge in 30 degree heat, finally flushed one for a brief flight view and then nailed it on the deck for some crippling views. And the final challenge that I set my guide - Black Bittern - near impossible, but no, after some 90 minutes of searching manages to find one less than 10 feet away from the path in a tangle of waterside branches.
The bits in between were spent just enjoying being out and about and seeing some daylight for a change.

Large-tailed Nightjar

Long-tailed Shrike

Lesser Whistling Ducks

Rufous Freepie

Spotted Owlets

Black Bittern - showing well !

Indian Soft Shell Turtle

....and some Snakes

About Me

Sometimes I try to do things but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to, and I get real frustrated and then like I try hard to do it, and I like, take my time but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to. It's like, I concentrate on it real hard, but it just doesn't work out. And everything I do and everything I try, it never turns out. It's like, I need time to figure these things out, but there's always someone there going “hey Steve, you know we've been noticing you've been having a lot of problems lately, you know? You need to maybe get away. And like, maybe you should talk about it, you'll feel a lot better.” And I'm all like “oh, nah, it's ok, you know. I'll figure it out. Just leave me alone, I'll figure it out, you know? I'm just working on it by myself.” And they go “well, you know, if you wanna talk about it, I'll be here, you know? And you'll probably feel a lot better if you talk about it. So why don't you talk about it?” I go “no, I don't want to! I'm ok. I'll figure it out myself!” But they just keep bugging me, they just keep bugging me, and it builds up inside.I was in my house and I was just like staring at the walls thinking about everything, but then again I was thinking about nothing. And then my wife came in, and I didn't even know she was there. She called my name and I didn't hear her and then she started screaming “Steve, Steve !” And I go “what ? What's the matter ?” She goes “what's the matter with you?” I go “there's nothing wrong” She’s all “don't tell me that ! You're on drugs !” I go “FFS, I'm not on drugs. I'm ok, I'm just thinking, you know? Why don't you get me a Pepsi?” She goes “No! You're on drugs!” I go “I'm ok. I'm just thinking.” She goes “No! You're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't be acting that way!” I go “just get me a Pepsi ! Please, all I want is a Pepsi !” And she wouldn't give it to me! All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me! Just a Pepsi !I'm sitting in my house, when a couple of my mates came in. they pulled up a chair and they sat down. They go “Steve, we need to talk to you.” And I go “ok, what's the matter?” They go “we've noticed that lately you've been having a lot of problems, and you've been going off on one for no reason, and we're afraid you're going to hurt somebody, and we're afraid you're going to hurt yourself. So we decided that it would be in your best interest if we put you somewhere where you could get the help that you need.” And I go “wait, what are you talking about, WE decided ? MY best interests ? How do you know what MY best interest is ? How can you say what MY best interest is ? What are you trying to say? I'm crazy ? They say they're gonna fix my brain. Alleviate my suffering and my pain. But by the time they fix my head, Mentally I'll be dead. They stuck me in an institution, said it was the only solution, to give me the needed professional help, to protect me from the enemy, myself !
Doesn't matter, I'll probably get hit by a car anyways !!!!