Wild Walk.🥾 

   When I started out on my daily walk, the temperature was 11°C, but it felt roughly 7°C–8°C due to a brisk 19–20 mph easterly wind. The sun was shining beautifully, and it felt quite warm when I was walking away from the wind.

  Two rooks were feeding on the grass on the cricket field when I began to walk around the outskirts of the recreation ground. A pair of wood pigeons flew over the hedge adjacent to the cemetery. As I began to walk along the cemetery pathways, several rooks and wood pigeons were feeding on the grassy borders.

   I made my way to the farmer’s field at the top end. Around 20 rooks flew up en masse and headed off in different directions over the nearby fields. I spotted a small white butterfly fluttering around the nettles and weeds underneath a nearby hedge; I tried to get a photograph, but to no avail.

I photographed a robin redbreast perched on a wire fence.

   Then, to my surprise and delight, I noticed an impressive small orange-tip butterfly looking for somewhere to settle. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a photograph of this tiny, short-lived insect. 

 I snapped a brilliant couple of photographs of a steam train puffing along on the rails alongside the main road.

   I continued along my way and passed a man walking a Cockapoo alongside the entrance to the leisure centre.

   Five feral pigeons were perched on the edge of the leisure centre rooftop. A couple with a Cavachon were walking on the grassy area in Foxy Lane. Today I walked for 2.12 miles in 44 minutes, and Google Fit awarded me 25 heart points.

~~~~

The Daily Nature Log

The sun was out in full force, but that 20 mph easterly wind certainly had a bite to it! It was a tale of two temperatures: a bracing chill when facing the breeze and a lovely warmth when walking away from it. The local birdlife was out in numbers, though the real stars of the show were the butterflies—even if they proved far too nimble for a photo op. A steady trek through the lanes and fields provided a decent cardio boost and a great start to the day.

The Stats

Distance: 2.12 miles

Duration: 44 minutes

Heart Points: 25

Conditions: 11°C (felt like 7°C), 20 mph Easterly wind, Sunny.

Wildlife Spotted: Rooks, Wood Pigeons, Feral Pigeons, Small White Butterfly, Orange-tip Butterfly.

Canine Sightings: Cockapoo, Cavachon.

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