The temperature was around 4°C, but due to a moderate 17–28 mph north-easterly wind, it felt like -1°C to 0°C. Conditions brought light rain showers and cloudy skies, making the wind chill significant as I started my daily wild nature walk.

  A large flock of about 50 jackdaws was flying towards the west, evidently on its way to a nightly roost.

   On the corner of Cows Lane, I noticed that some strongly perfumed blue hyacinths had reappeared under a weigela shrub, ready to burst into flower.   

  Upon arriving at the grassy area in Foxy Lane, I passed a man walking a mongrel-type dog.

  As I walked around the recreation ground, approximately 15 gulls and 20 rooks were feeding on the grass. A few gulls and a small flock of 20 feral pigeons were flying around the rooftops of the abandoned factory nearby. 

  When I reached the cemetery gates, a long-tailed tit flew into the adjacent hedgerow, and a male blackbird hopped along the ground ahead of me before finally disappearing into a nearby shrub.

  I managed to photograph the sun going down over the rookery, where many rooks were noisily congregated in the treetops.  

  Leaving the cemetery, I made my way along the main road and turned into the leisure centre road, watching a herring gull drift overhead, coasting on the wind currents. To conclude the walk, a couple walking two miniature schnauzers passed me by. 

Today I walked for 2.17 miles in 49 minutes, 

Google Fit awarded me. 24 heart points.

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.