It is 8.30 a.m. I took Skipper out at 7.30 this morning. It is a fine morning and it has a spring smell about it. There are a lot of pheasants about this year along the Silverburn. The ducks also appear to have moved further up river than normal. I also note that the starlings are up to their old tricks again. Well, either that, or they have started running the steam trains at 7a.m., and late in to the night. Starlings often imitate the daily sounds that go on around them. A starling from the old mill is now imitating the bleeper on the steam railway crossing at the entrance to the mill. A starling almost killed me when I worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland. When the bank was on Prospect Hill, a starling frequently imitated the pelican crossing outside the bank. For quite some time I could not figure out what was going on. I would press the button and in due course the bleeper would go and I would try to cross the road only to be pulled back by someone. On one occasion I even phoned Douglas Corporation to come out and repair the crossing. They of course could find nothing wrong with it. Eventually I heard about a Pelican crossing in Dublin where they had identified a starling imitating the bleeper. From then on, the only safe way to cross Prospect Hill at that point, was to cross when everybody else did.

Many years ago a parrot was the cause of an accident on Douglas Quay. At that time the boats used to discharge into horse drawn carts. The horseman would stand along side the horse calling backup, backup repeatedly, until the cart was close enough to the unloading vessel. On this occasion a pet parrot living across the road called out repeatedly, "Backup, Backup" until a horse and cart which had been parked on the quayside backed in to the harbour, as there was no vessel unloading at that time.

Our own parrot, Orry has started to imitate Skipper. Not only does he call Skipper by name, but has now started barking as well. As I write Skipper is lying in his bed beside me in the office. However, the bloody parrot is barking like mad down stairs. Well, its time to put the kettle on I think. Today, being Monday means I will go to Peel for some fish. My diet is in good shape at present. I am going to really make a strong effort not to be lured into the chippie today. I will of course let you know tomorrow how I get on.

Until tomorrow then, this is Tom Glassey with News at 9.15, on the banks of the Silverburn River.