I bimled! First time I've been able to go out for a walk since 15 Oct.
Met Harvestman and Solo-the-dog at Goytre Lock on the Monmouth Canal. Not been before so all was new but Harvestman knows the place well. We made our way upstream from Goytre, the path is very good and easy for folk with not the best of feet (like me!). The weather was gorgeous, with bright winter sun putting up reflections from the water.
Going under the old stone bridges I got good instruction on spiders (I love spiders) but apparently I'll have to get down there at midnight to see them
. There were mallards on the water who seemed to be already pairing ... we saw 3 pairs, pairs not a couple of males with a female! Spring is coming early ??? Somebody had violets yesterday so ...
On the walk to the wood, Harvestman had pointed out some water dropwort and pulled off a very small leaf with the cheerful words, "that's quite enough to kill you" ... I did NOT allow him to make the tea. However he has sorted the chapter I was writing before I came out this morning so shall finish it off shortly. Ta harvestman, that was good .
We went along as far as a private wildlife reserve which we could go into and stopped for a brew. We'd been collecting tinder - old man's beard, dry ivy, birch, ash and chestnut and I'd brought the Honey, it lit on the second go and made a lovely hot blaze. I poured the water in to the mug and ... realised I'd brought the wrong mug !!! Twas my new double-skin job !!! Fortunately Harvestman noticed too so it got took off the fire before it exploded. Would have been far too exciting if that had blown up.
It was good to be sat in the little wood. A robin carolled us from the top of a holly bush and we realised that the beech tree that had called to me to go sit by it was actually in the middle of a holly ring. I love this, it always amazes me (despite umpteen years of seeing it) how the trees do this dance. It wasn't quite a perfect ring but pretty good and I always love it when I've felt called to a place and then, after I get there, see what it wanted to show me. Perhaps robin was singing this to us as well. We saw a greater spotted woodpecker, what looked like a pair of wrens (spring again?), tits and a couple of LBJs.
More ducks and reflections on the way back. Bridges in the right light do it soooo well. Some crows/rooks were mobbing a young buzzard in the fields beside the path, he hadn't got the knack of dive-bombing them as the ones round our house do .
As we got back to the lock Harvestman noticed this already out in flower - my mind's gone blank on its name but Harvestman will supply it. Another telling of spring, accompanied by the great tits' spring song ... already! That really was a surprise. I wonder how the year will turn out, it was more like the end of Feb used to be today.
We wound up the bimble with a mug of tea and a piece of fruitcake each ... since the original brew had not been able to happen in the woods. Solo got the last piece of cake from each of us and a nice mountain-biker fell for him and offered him a piece of bread and jam as well! The biker had seen the heron on his ride and the kingfisher and, as we all turned back towards his table there was a wren sat on the end of it ... gorgeous!
A great bimble and I was sooooooooo glad to be able to go out again
Met Harvestman and Solo-the-dog at Goytre Lock on the Monmouth Canal. Not been before so all was new but Harvestman knows the place well. We made our way upstream from Goytre, the path is very good and easy for folk with not the best of feet (like me!). The weather was gorgeous, with bright winter sun putting up reflections from the water.
Going under the old stone bridges I got good instruction on spiders (I love spiders) but apparently I'll have to get down there at midnight to see them
. There were mallards on the water who seemed to be already pairing ... we saw 3 pairs, pairs not a couple of males with a female! Spring is coming early ??? Somebody had violets yesterday so ... On the walk to the wood, Harvestman had pointed out some water dropwort and pulled off a very small leaf with the cheerful words, "that's quite enough to kill you" ... I did NOT allow him to make the tea
. However he has sorted the chapter I was writing before I came out this morning so shall finish it off shortly. Ta harvestman, that was good . We went along as far as a private wildlife reserve which we could go into and stopped for a brew. We'd been collecting tinder - old man's beard, dry ivy, birch, ash and chestnut and I'd brought the Honey, it lit on the second go and made a lovely hot blaze. I poured the water in to the mug and ... realised I'd brought the wrong mug !!! Twas my new double-skin job !!! Fortunately Harvestman noticed too so it got took off the fire before it exploded
. Would have been far too exciting if that had blown up. It was good to be sat in the little wood. A robin carolled us from the top of a holly bush and we realised that the beech tree that had called to me to go sit by it was actually in the middle of a holly ring. I love this, it always amazes me (despite umpteen years of seeing it) how the trees do this dance. It wasn't quite a perfect ring but pretty good and I always love it when I've felt called to a place and then, after I get there, see what it wanted to show me. Perhaps robin was singing this to us as well
. We saw a greater spotted woodpecker, what looked like a pair of wrens (spring again?), tits and a couple of LBJs. More ducks and reflections on the way back. Bridges in the right light do it soooo well
. Some crows/rooks were mobbing a young buzzard in the fields beside the path, he hadn't got the knack of dive-bombing them as the ones round our house do . As we got back to the lock Harvestman noticed this already out in flower - my mind's gone blank on its name but Harvestman will supply it. Another telling of spring, accompanied by the great tits' spring song ... already! That really was a surprise. I wonder how the year will turn out, it was more like the end of Feb used to be today.
We wound up the bimble with a mug of tea and a piece of fruitcake each ... since the original brew had not been able to happen in the woods. Solo got the last piece of cake from each of us and a nice mountain-biker fell for him and offered him a piece of bread and jam as well! The biker had seen the heron on his ride and the kingfisher and, as we all turned back towards his table there was a wren sat on the end of it ... gorgeous!
A great bimble and I was sooooooooo glad to be able to go out again
