h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If we get up out of bed soon enough, and look and listen, each day we can learn something new, herewith today's little gem.

I have often heard the dawn chorus, usually just before the city was invaded by us human city dwellers as a daily routine. It is quite easy to be the very first person out and about, when you have been out all night on patrol keeping The Queen's Peace. No medals for it, but you do actually get paid for the inconvenience and risk.

Today there is no longer the same risk, and the weekly wage is not there either, but the abject pleasure is still available and most welcome.Yet there was one missing factor this glorious morning,the dawn chorus was not available, but compensation was instantly available.

(Stop Teasing H, get on with the story.)

Right; ignore the previous conversation! here goes. I live at the base of a beautiful hill adjoining the magnificent Lancashire moors, the area is absolutely full of the most fantasic wildlife, seldom seen and most certainly never fully appreciated. Name a species in possible habitation, and it is most probably within the sound of a gun shot, a barking dog, or being the inspiration of the story the raucious sound of the human voice at full volume.

Daily the countless dog walkers trudge up the very steep hill, a few of whom are very concientious owners, and they clean up the mess off the footpath. The remainder carefully look the other way, or they just walk away from their property. The dog follows and the remainder of the property stays behind, firmly attached to the footpath.

But the dog does not always follow the careless owner, and the sound of this raucious human voice ranges over several miles, bellowing instructions and orders in swift repetition, with no response at all from the dog, who most definitely does not speak the same language, and does not like the tone of the one sided conversation either.

But someone else was listening very carefully to both the tone of voice and the words as well, certainly much more carefully than the various dogs. No! it was not reported as the public nuisance inflicted on this beauty spot. But it was accurately recorded, set to gorgeous music and sent back in perfect harmony over the hills.

The culprit is a bird that I can not see, it is concealed in the brand new leaves of a tree in next door's garden. There he goes now, over and over again, the most welcome sounds immaginable as he repeats perfect musical notes, over and over again, ending with clear as crystal, "COME HERE!"


Cheers H.

Thanks again Scandria,

have a good day.

Cheers H.

Traveller in Time trying to miss the left property
"Are these birds not miraculous artists?

Reminds me of the story of a jungle expedition. They once heard the sound of machine saws. After informing the local authorities they advanced into the direction of the sound. They found out it was one of the local birds that had picked up the sound and made the most perfect imitation of a machine saw they ever heard. "

Good morning T.T. nice to hear from you, I wonder how many birds actually do this fantstic performance.

I am a great sceptic, only believe what I am a absolutely convinced of, it was about ten minutes before I told my wife and she takes even more convincing than I do.

It did not sound like a small bird nor a large one, a wild guess is that it is about the size of a blackbird and we do have a pair of them all the time in the local gardens.

I shall be out with a camera this morning, could I be so lucky to get a picture?????

Cheers H.