Vivid Art on the Cycle Track

 I'm managed to get in another two hour walk without my ankle giving out, brought on largely by guilt as I had a very lazy weekend avoiding the freezing gales of Storm Arwen, although we did not have any of the snow that fell so plentifully not too far away. 

I took myself through the cemetery and round the lakes, complete with my new cheap monocular, looking for early snowdrops - they've sprouted but nowhere near flowering - and also early goosander which were very much present; 15 of them on the Blue Lake, drakes and ducks earlier than I've ever seen them here and in greater numbers too.

As ever, they were far too far out to be able to photograph them, even if I'd had my bridge camera. 

The good stuff on this walk was actually along the N64 cycle track, and was safely immobile, easy to get close to, and made of brick and paint.

After a few years during which the previous artwork had become faded and graffiti'd over, artists were again commissioned to team up with local schoolchildren to create new environmental and socially conscious designs to be painted on the bridges, which have been tidied up in an attempt to reduce crime levels in the area.

Well good luck with that one, but the designs themselves are absolutely stunning, vivid paint bringing all sorts of animals to life. Hopefully the odd passing family may be inspired to become more aware of what they can see around them, and become more inclined to protect it. 

That would be a result.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.12.21

Two Hours on the Bicycle

I really need more outside exercise, and with my plantaric irritation still ongoing, cycling seems to be the only way to  do it. Unless I suddenly make the Cambridge 8 or something equally unlikely.

So I have resolved to get out on the bike the next few days I have off. Today was the first of these, and in good conditions apart from a wind that seemed to be head on for my entire ride, I headed south along the N64, wondering if I'd surprise a long eared owl that roost by day in the hedgerows alongside.

Of course I didn't, and suppose I only would have done so if I'd ridden my bike directly into the hedge. There weren't any winter thrushes either, but constant flashes of white wing edges and tail bars indicated that a lot of chaffinch were about today.

Off the cycle track, I rode through Shelton village (posh), Sibthorpe village (posh), Elston (posh), East Stoke (site of famous Roses War battle, also posh) and Farndon (not posh). In East Stoke I had fantastic close views of a pair of kestrels, so close I could see every marking on their chestnut backs as they flew away from the lumpy two wheeled threat.

Rumbles was open too, so got to have a really nice cup of tea afterwards, listen to 6 music and  just feel good about the 30km ride I'd had, despite the lead legs.

More tomorrow.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.12.18

A Comma in the Sunshine

I got in another run today, a little quicker but also a little shorter - 7.3km.

I wasn't in time to get to Rumbles for a cup of tea, so I had to go into town for a different treat - a can of Rubicon guava drink, quite simply the best single canned drink there is in my view. Bloody zingy and refreshing.

Of the run itself, one little highlight presented  itself. I'd gone along the cycle path along the railway line to see if the various still flowering budleia bushes were attracting anything in the sun.

And indeed they were, for on one of the larger bushes just by the bridge where the older drinkers go at night; the teenage dope smokers use the bridges nearer the pond. It was a lovely comma, wings with those peculiar leafy points, the grammatical symbol that gives the butterfly its name clear on the underwing.

There's been so few of these late season second flighters this year - barely a peacock or red admiral to be seen either. This strange year seems to have done for them, while others like meadow brown, small copper and holly blue have done well.

2018. Crazy.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.09.18

Along the Cycle Path

After a little micro adventure where I slept in my garden last night, I felt really lethargic again today. But I did manage to beat it enough to have a rather stiff 5km run along the cycle path.

It's still a good place to run and look for nature, but I could do without the snotty dope smoking teenagers you occasionally find on it. There's still flowers about - buddleia, the two sorts of willow herb, plenty of toadflax to attract pollinators - but the birds aren't back from their post breeding season holidays yet. The ducks aren't coming out of eclipse yet either.

I'm wondering how best to stay active this winter, and how I can cycle, run and maybe even camp. THere's a lot of life I need to start living.

Si

All  text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.09.18

Tour De Rubbish Tip

I had a very gentle run last night, 6km, and although it went ok at the time, it was a bit sore afterwards so I decided to stay off it today and go for a bike ride.

It ended up being a very short bike ride, a mere ten miles, because during them time it took me to eat my lunch, and get out there and pump the tires up, the wind suddenly got up and veered around to the north west. As soon as I was out of the protection of buildings, it turned out that my preferred route was going to have the wind hindering me virtually all the way.

So I decided to just make it short, rather than a 25 mile job.

Still it was good exercise, I was able to ride safely on the cycle track, and a wind from that direction meant I wasn't exposed to the full vomity miasma of Cotham rubbish tip.

Bizarrely, this is a popular spot for birdwatchers due to the huge numbers of gulls it attracts over the winter months - amidst the thousand plus herring and black headed gulls there's occasionally a glaucous or iceland gull, rare visitors from the arctic circle.

Somehow these "gullers" are able to pick out these different birds at a range of 400 metres through a spotting scope, something I'd never be able to do.

The official graffiti artists have also made it out this far. Virtually all the bridges along the cycle track are now colourfully decorated. Rather cheerful.

See what tomorrow brings!

Si