The Walk Narrative
   A fresh 8:45 am start with a deceptively cool breeze in the shade. I practically had the morning to myself—a wonderfully peaceful absence of people.
   Down by the football ground, six corvids and a solitary rook were busy feeding, while a raucous crew of ten gulls wheeled overhead, calling out to one another. Near the cemetery road entrance, a dunnock darted into the greenery. Spotting my usual acquaintance—the local Pitbull Terrier—lounging quietly in his garden, I received an inquisitive look that clearly translated to: ‘You’re early today!’
   Before stepping into the cemetery, I snapped a photo of some purple-flowered shrubs in the hedge, which Google Lens later identified as Lycium barbarum (Goji berry). Inside, another pair of dunnocks bolted for cover, and a trio of magpies played a frantic game of chase through a thick hedge. The local rookery itself was entirely deserted; the rooks have evidently decamped to the surrounding farmers’ fields.

  On the way out, a lone wood pigeon watched from a concrete ledge. I strolled down the cemetery road towards the leisure centre, pausing only to photograph a vibrant cluster of pavement wildflowers. Arriving at the leisure centre, eight feral pigeons held court on the rooftop, while back at the football ground, another rook fed against a backdrop of screeching gulls. A final, single magpie under the pine trees rounded out a highly productive avian tally.

Daily Stats
Distance: 2.05 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Google Fit: 25 heart points
Weather: 21°C air temp (Feels like 19°C–24°C), gentle 10–15 mph winds
Notable Flora: Lycium barbarum hedge, colourful roadside wildflowers
Avian Tally: 8 rooks, 6 corvids, 10 gulls, 3 dunnocks, 4 magpies, 1 wood pigeon, 8 feral pigeons.

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