Sunday, July 17, 2011


Saturday

Having spent the rainy morning doing housework, I drove down mid-afternoon to the forest and heath. I set off in dry weather and hoped it would stay that way.

It didn't rain until I was out in the open - and then it came down in buckets. I had heard the sound of firing earlier and assumed it came from the danger area; but in fact there were military manoeuvres taking place at the southern end of the heath.

There was nothing to stop me walking through it all but I would have felt a bit of a fool, so I did something I wouldn't normally do. I struggled across the lowest part of the heath with its tussocky grass and hidden peaty pools to get to the main track through the heather. My legs and feet were soaked in no time. There were no birds' nests to worry about - there weren't even any blooming birds! There were no other walkers. Just rain, bogs, the army and me.

And back in the forest, apart from a juvenile blackcap and loads of yellow-cheeked tits, I saw nothing of note.

Garden: The impressive Banded (Hornet) Hoverfly (which started my interest in insects) appeared as usual when the hebe came into flower.

They're not uncommon; I saw one recently in brambles in the hedgerow bordering Dorney Common - where there was also a lesser whitethroat.

// posted by Christine @ 2:57 AM
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