Morning Stroll

Yesterday i awoke suddenly at 7am, this was due to the fact that my throat feels like it's on fire and my nose has ceased to work, thus rendering sleep as a distant memory. So, with my man-flu in full flow i don't feel 100% but the opportunity of a morning walk over Belverdere roused my spirits.

As it happened the day seemed a pleasant one and for periods it was warm and bright, however large black clouds drifted over threateningly every so often dropping showers of rain before moving on.

 

Entering the fields at Point 1 a Jay flirted through the trees to the left of the Bridge, a glimpse of pink and blue caught my eye as it settled in a tree on the very edge of the stream. The scrub on the way to Point 2 was alive with song, a scratchy little tune that i have not heard for many months. Soon the culprit flitted out from the dense thicket into the base of a  small thorny tree where it perched in the bright (but fleeting) sunlight. A Whitethroat. As it turned out Whitethroats were in abundance throughout Belvedere fields, everwhere i went on my walk that morning that scratchy song followed, every movement in the scrub turned out to be another Whitethroat, it was a very pleasent walk.

 

On the journey to Point 3 a Kestrel skimmed low over the field heading towards the Water Treatment Plant, a few Canada Geese watched it fly by as they rested on the small island in the centre of the pond. As i approached the Water Treatment Plant myself (albeit a few minutes behind the Kestrel), the notable difference since my last visit was the number of Swallows seemed to have doubled. A look through my binoculars confirmed why, they had been joined by both House and Sand Martins.

 

Martins are smaller than Swallows and their tails are not as deeply grooved in the middle. House Martins are black but have a white patch on their rump, easily identifiable when it turns, whereas Sand Martins are uniformly a chestnut brown. After a few minutes of observation at this large number of Hirundines, all swooping and swerving, the rain returned, this time heavier and i decided that it was time to should turn back and head home.

 

 

Looming clouds

 

 

 

  Manure loving Fungi

Escaping the noise.

At the moment my house is basically a construction site, due to the imminent failure of our boiler. This means the entire central heating and radiators have to be changed, the carpets are upturned and there are holes in the floors and walls. From 9am till 5pm everyday the walls echo and vibrate to the sound of drills and hammers and other manly tools. Still, it's for the better and i'll take any excuse to escape the commotion and stress and retreat to the fields and relax with a book.

 

As much as i would love to take my book over Belvedere fields, it would be impractical, not because of the temperature, it's actually quite pleasent, but because of the ever strengthening wind. My walk yesterday was an exciting one, the insects are becoming more active, Bumblebees hummed low to the ground, the odd butterfly flapping irratically over the tufts of long grass. I have always thought that each season has it's own smell, it seems strange but they do. Winter smells very fresh and makes your eyes water, in Summer you can smeel the dry arid heat, in Autumn the musty, damp stench of the rotting vegetation and Spring smells sweet and purfumed, wafting about lazily in the gentle breeze. Lately that familier cheery smell of Spring seems to be returning, ever so slightly to these fields. 

 

As the Water Treatment Plant came into view so did a great number of Swallows, swooping and diving to catch the clouds of midges, the meadow pipits flirting beneath them in the grass. To the right of the path 2 Grey Partridges suddenly appeared from the scrub and flew off back towards Point 3 and the fields beyond.

 

I walked to Point 5 with no sign of the Kingfisher, past the body of the Fox and stopped to scan the field. At the opposite end 2 birds glided around the outskirts, at first i thought they were Crows but they looked unusually large, despite my distant view point, but i will keep a note of them and hopefully in the future can confrm if any Ravens are present.

                                    
                                      Some Fungi, growing out of the Manure around Point 3

Spring has Sprung

Finally the UK has had a break in the weather and the early signs of Spring are visible across the North West after a pretty formidable March. Daffodils and Snowdrops have started to appear and on my visit over Belvedere this afternoon the first migrants have landed in the form of Chiff Chaffs.

 

I spent a few minutes in silence just sat listening to my first Chiff Chaff of the year,  singing it's name sake song while flitting in the very tops of the trees. Another surprise find of today appeared on the track from Point 2 to Point 3, my eyes, drawn by some movement in the undergrowth, focused on the smallest species of bird in the British Isles, a Goldcrest. I had a great view of this wonderful little bird, it is not a bird that i commonly see, only a few times every year.

 

Two Buzzards circled lazily over the far fields at point 5, the Fox has been moved from the farmers land and lay bloated underneath the trickling water of the stream that runs parallel. On my way back, one of the Kingfishers darted past me, that stunning streak of bright blue flashing in the sun. It's nice to know that they are still knocking around.

 

Hopefully the coming week will herald the return of some Hirundines darting low over the fields catching the midges and other invertabrates.