Geoffrey Higges

Bird Hide Geoffrey Higges

George will never forget the time his father took him birding, and tells the story how he helped his father look for a special bird. George's father is a birder. He spends all his spare time, on his own, or with other birders in a club, looking for birds he hasn't seen before. He marks them down in his bird book, and whenever possible takes a photograph. George often asks his father the names of the colourful birds in his photo book. Sometimes George asks his father to take him along, but there is always a reason he can't go. Then one weekend his father said, "Tomorrow you must get up early and I will take you with me to see if we can find a very special bird." George was so excited he could hardly sleep that night. On the trek George gets so excited every time he sees a bird that he calls out "There it is!". His father is very patient with George's enthusiasm, but does tell him quietly not no make so much noise because that frightens the birds away. The birding gets serious when George and his father settle in a bird-hide. After a while George is getting tired and is nearly falling asleep when suddenly he is aware is father is jumping with subdued excitement, and struggling with his note book and camera. George looks up and sees a bird in the nearby bushes. Forgetting to be quiet, he calls out "There it is!" and claps loudly. The frightened bird flies off just before his father can get a photo.