The walk began in bright, warm sunshine with a pair of wood pigeons keeping watch from the rooftops and a cricket match well underway at the recreation ground. Along the path, a small bird dropped from the hedge; its bobbing stride and monochrome plumage instantly gave it away as a pied wagtail, which Google Lens later happily confirmed.

   Reaching the cemetery road, the local ‘friendly’ Pitbull Terrier offered an ambiguous vocalisation—either a joyful greeting or a stern warning bark. Nearby, a couple of painted lady butterflies danced among the weeds. Moving into the cemetery pathways, the local corvids were busy feeding, a lone wood pigeon staked out a ledge, and the rookery was a hive of activity, with twenty rooks erupting into the air as I reached the top field.
   The insect life was out in force, including a beautifully intricate comma butterfly, but the real showstopper was a sudden flash of brown: a muntjac deer bolted from the shrubs and leapt clean over the hedge. I scrambled for my mobile phone, but the swift little visitor was gone before I could snap a picture.
   Heading towards the gates, another painted lady fluttered by—a tiny marvel of nature, considering they migrate all the way from Africa over successive generations. The final leg past the leisure centre added a soaring herring gull, a flock of feral pigeons on ‘sentry duty’, and three sparrows slipping into the guttering to tend to their nests. To bookend a wonderful outing, the final stretches featured two lovely dogs: a handsome black Schnauzer watching the cricket, and a sleek black greyhound enjoying a stroll under the pines of Foxglove Lane.
Stats:
Distance: 2.08 miles
Time: 46 minutes
Google Fit: 22 heart points
 

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