I suffered as they suffered

Thought I'd try something different today. Not really out of choice, but because I was fat and lazy yesterday, slobbering about all day reading and watching Scott Pilgrim over and over again.

Of course, today it rained like hell. All day. So, I decided to make the best out of it, and see who would be mad enough to be out, like me, on a rain jagging grey miserable damn bank holiday. If the wildlife was getting soaked, then so would I.

Today's route was London Road Lake - Field and Copse off Clay Lane - Beacon Hill Reserve - River. London Road Lake, the Grebes and Coots were out with their chicks, and the cute Moorhen was splashing about in the little dyke where the froggies and toadies live. But once again no Tufted Ducks, there's usually plenty of them gadding about. Wonder where they went.

Behind Clay Lane, I love this little patch of land, would be a good little reserve in its own right, nice little mixed habitat of grassland and copses. Still a bit of Hawthorn Bloom out, and a tree with some pink bloom on that was a bit too far away for the slightly off colour Si to investigate. But I will. Assuming I don't get flattened by a kid on one of those oversize off road skateboard things.

Beacon Hill, well there's a lot of rubbish been dumped in various places by kids, and all the rabbits were down in their various warrens. The nursery looks pretty with the dog daisies out, and there's a lot of Greater (White?) and Field (pink and white) Bindweed. No birdies though, and deffo no butterflies.

On the river, if there were any cormorants or herons or boring old mallards about, by now they wouldn't have been as soaked as I was.

But when I got home, after this 1 hour 10k or so route, someone was happy with the weather. A collared dove - not seen so many of these yet this year - was happily splashing and having a drink in a puddle on my drive - it's elegant form screeched at by a line of House Sparrows watching from a garage roof, gabbling away with all the delicacy for which they are famed.

PS - if I get decent weather, want to take a few photos by bike. So you don't get fed up with my words, y'all.