Monday 9 February 2015

A Return to Coddington

I've not run my Coddington 10km route for a while, having betrayed my old favourite run for the feathery temptations of The Owl Road. Besides, I don't fancy the hill in good weather let alone in ice and snow, which I think it is fair enough.

Today however, was a beautiful spring day, relatively mild and a sky allowing you to see to the edge of the Universe. The fieldfares I saw at the farm by the A1 flyover were luckily not so far away, around 30 birds that were flushed from a tree as a lumbering chap on a too small BMX approached, and settled in the field on the opposite side of the road.

For some reason, the farm smelt of putrid macaroni cheese. Most unpleasant.

After a very stiff slog up that hill - two hours of cricket nets yesterday obviously taking a toll - I came into Coddington village, with yellowhammers glowing like lemons in the strong low sun in the hedges. It's good to see them, I've not seen many recently on my travels, and for some reason redwing haven't been plentiful either this winter. Normally there's redwing to be seen in the hedges as you head out of Coddington back to town, but no joy at all today.

Eventually, after convincing the staff I was mad as I ran in and out of the library to pick up a copy of the excellent "Left Lion" magazine, I completed an 11.6km route that included a 58.57 10km. Not great, but I was stopping for photos as ever, and as I said, I'm as stiff as a board!

Si

The old Coddington windmill

South western view from the same spot

I'd be ever so fast if my legs were this long

The view down Beacon Hill

3 comments:

  1. I've seen fewer Redwing and Fieldfare locally this year and not yet managed a glimpse of a yellowhammer to add to the year list. Love the photo showing your long shadow :)

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  2. The same here with few sightings of Redwings and Fieldfares! I hope to remedy the lack of a Yellowhammer sighting soon!

    'yellowhammers glowing like lemons'...don't they just in the sunshine!

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  3. Too lazy to run today, short of stuff to write about. So grey today, there was nothing glowing at all. Crows cawing like a Hammer Horror film

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