Monday, April 08, 2013
We had a man in today to repair the landing ceiling, where a leaking roof had made a sizeable hole. Knowing that tradesmen do not like women under their feet when they are working (my dad was a painter and decorator) I made myself scarce.
I couldn't resist another visit to the downland flood, only this time I drove right up to it from Blewbury village. This approach lacked the drama of seeing the flood unexpectedly from Lowbury Hill during a walk, but it was still quite impressive. It also meant I could use my scope; but alas, there were no tiny waders this time. And I wasn't lucky with oystercatcher, which another observer reported here yesterday.
There were half a dozen teal, two or three shelduck, and loads of fieldfare. I was a bit worried at one point, when I spotted a police car approaching along the narrow lane. I didn't know if you were allowed to park along here. Was I going to have to explain myself? However the car stopped in the lay-by, a uniformed man and woman got out - and lit up. Having had their smoke they turned the car and drove off again!
Two curlews were on another flood near the farm, and before I drove away I watched and photographed them for ten minutes from the car. This flood also held a lesser black-backed gull and two Canada geese. Lazy birding, but it meant I didn't spook the curlews.
Next stop was the White Horse Hill at Uffington where I saw one wheatear. A bird on a fence with what looked like broad white wing bars foxed me at first; but it can only have been a partially leucistic corn bunting.
Weathercock Hill was my final destination. I did a bit better here with with two wheatears, and went right over the hill and down the other side for exercise. As I turned back, a couple of horse riders were heading out across the still wintry fields at a sedate walk, from right to left of the scene. Climbing the hill again I looked back from the top to see this:
A bit cheeky to post these pics but the figures are distant, it all seemed to end well, and it was a splendid "capture" of the runaway horse by the other rider.
It was only on my second traverse of Weathercock that I realised the tree on the crown of the hill was gone. This leaning tree (beech?) was a landmark for us. On our round walks we could see it from Uffington, and marvel at how far we had come (and despair at how blooming far we still had to go!).
Otherwise my thoughts today have been with Dorn and Terry down in France, where Terry is undergoing a second hip replacement operation. Hope everything's gone okay.
// posted by Christine @ 11:13 AM 
