Unfortunately Tilly has hurt her shoulder somehow so at the moment we are on short walks until it heals, she is well on the mend now and we look forward to our longer walks.
It hasn’t been too disappointing for me as the weather and light hasn’t been very special in the mornings. It has still been very warm and dry but the weather seems to be on the change. The fruits of the autumn are ripening, Blackberries, Elderberries, Rowans, Hazelnuts to name a few, it does seem a little early but maybe a Blackberry and apple pie this weekend!
I still take my camera just in case and a couple of mornings I have walked to Bere Marsh and then up the road back home. The road from Child Okeford to Shillingstone is closed again for new water supply. If you want to drive to Shillingstone a pain but nice to walk up the road in the quiet and look over Hayward’s bridge.
I was beginning to think there was nothing about but I just stood on the bridge for a while and started spotting the wildlife.
There were a number of Moorhens about and a few young ones it’s good to see some have survived their first months. they are very shy and soon disappear into the reeds if they spot you.
A Buzzard was watching us from a dead tree near the Trailway.
A Heron took off from the reeds as we got to the bridge they are very aware of what is around them, he scared a couple of Little Egrets as well. Not a great picture it was around dawn and very dull.
The Swallows are starting to flex their wings ready for the flight back to Africa, it only seems a couple of weeks ago since they arrived. There doesn’t seem quite so many as last year but we hope many survive to come back next year.
I also saw a Kingfisher flash under the bridge and the back again too fast and too dull to even contemplate a picture but very nice to see.
Walking back home I spotted a Roe deer doe in the field near the back of our house, it spotted us and was soon gone into the hedgerow.
It just goes to prove that even on when I think there is nothing about I just have to wait and there they are!
