Sunrise 06:42 Sunset 19:45 BST
I was up and out around sunrise this morning although there was no sight of the sun! It was overcast and a light drizzle when Kim and I started out, Lucy the Lurcher decided that she would stay at home, being an old lady now she is allowed! It was pleasantly warm and I decided I would walk a little further than usual so I crossed to Bere Marsh and then under the old railway bridge up to New Cross. When I reached the large field I spotted a herd of maybe 6 or 7 Roe Deer so I decided rather than go on and disturb the deer I would return and walk along the Trailway.
The Trailway after the Bere Marsh burial ground makes it’s way between two steep banks of grass and scrub and is a haven for all the birds and they were very busy singing and claiming their territory, birds chatting up one another, birds with moss or other nest building materials. All I could hear was the sounds of the birds no outside human noises and I didn’t see another human being until I got home to Rod!
Here are some of the birds I saw:
- Robin
- Wren
- Blackbird
- House Sparrow
- Little Egret
- Dunnocks
- Long Tailed Tits
- Blackcaps
- Bluetits
- Great tits
- Jays
- Buzzard
- Chiffchaff
- Mallard Ducks
- Goldcrests
- Skylarks
- Wood Pigeons
- Swallows
I’m sure there were a few more but it was very busy and I was having difficulty keeping my glasses clear of the rain.
At the bottom of the list was the best sighting today a pair of Swallows, my first sighting this year. I had to do a double take to check what my brain registered and sure enough a pair flew over me near Hammoon on the open part of the Trailway, always a pleasure to see them return.
The flowers are coming on slowly, the primroses are filling the banks and there was even a Cowslip flowering, the Dog’s Mercury is growing fast and the Blackthorn is coming out with the Pussy Willow in different stages of flowering. Everywhere is looking greener and it changes every day.
By the time we got home it was raining quite hard but the weather forecast is looking quite promising, I do hope so.