Monday 7th February 2011
Decided to start exploring more of the countryside within a few miles of home with a walk round the outskirts of Nuneaton Golf Club towards Attleborough fields, Nuneaton. It wasn't much fun, the wind was even stronger than on Friday. There were few birds to be seen but I continued the recognisance. There was no-one else about, or so I thought, until I noticed someone waving their arms about, a couple of fields away. Funny I thought in a Dudley Moore sort of way, Funny. I tried to mind my own business and continue on my merry way but a glance back showed the waving was continuing and it was clearly a woman towing a small dog. Why, I considered? What does a lady and her small dog want with me in the middle of nowhere and the middle of the afternoon?
The persistant waving of a damsel in distress could no longer be ignored. But what was behind the frantic gesticulations? Perhaps her husband had collapsed further back along the path, perhaps she had come across a body in a ditch. I walked towards her regardless of my own safety. There are times in a birder's life when birds have to take to take second place, as long as they're not lifers.
'Where am I', was the greeting. 'Well I'm a stranger to these parts myself' was the reply, but in an attempt to reassure her, added I think we need to follow this path. The poor lady had become was completely lost and looked as if she had got stuck in some bog along the way. We chatted, as I called upon all my previous Duke of Edinburgh's Award training to navigate our route to safety. By the time we were back to the place she was to meet her husband it emerged I knew her son and had played Rugby with her husband for a couple of seasons at Nuneaton R.F.C. back in the good old days. Small world aint it.
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