19-03-08 Twitching Cranes

Wednesday not sure of where to go today I thought a cycle through the fields to Holywell not much around other than I caught up with 2 Red Legged usually in good numbers in the fields but these the first of the year, sitting in the hide just checking the gulls as they dropped in along with the usual Greylag + 5 pinkfeet, the pager went off with the message of 2 Common Cranes near QE11 park this was at 3:30 ish but the time quoted was 2pm ,so what to do had they been there but by now gone , or where they still there, a couple of phone calls gave no further info , so a while later I headed for St Mary's only to get the call the Cranes where still present, so I decided to go for them, cycling all that way was a no ! no!. back home for the car scope and digigear, first problem a puncture, so I had to stop frequently to pump it up, then I got onto the coast road and into the wind, bottom gear and it was still hard work, but I had decided to go for the birds and so I had to battle on, I was Knackered when I got home with having to pump the tyre up and cycle against the wind, got home got my gear and was off, but just around the corner the petrol light came on and with stations few and far nowadays thought I had better get some ,pulled up filled up and went to pay ,bugger no money and no cards, in my haste to get out forgot to pick my cards up, so I went in to explain, had to fill a form in and leave my mobile, and then it was off the sun setting fast as I pulled up and there they where, fantastic got a couple of shots, they showed well but where at some distance for digiscoping, eventually just before dark they flew west and where later reported at Longhirst Flash ,as predicted a suitable roost site .but as I had no phone I could not ring in an update!!!!!