I've been out for 10km today, enjoying the milder temperatures but as yet no prolonged periods of sunshine in the East Midlands. There aren't any cowslips to see on the cycle path; probably fell victim to the council clean up and were thus beheaded in a purge of evil necessity.
The cycle path had become a prime site for fly tipping.
I ran across the Clay Lane grasslands, where the local chiff chaff was singing its heart out again, before hurtling through Beacon Hill Park where a few children were engaging in an easter egg hunt. I'm always hoping to see a few deer here after finding a couple of roe deer a couple of years ago, but none since. I've also got my eyes open for the muntjac that have also moved into town, but no joy yet for them either.
I kept running, through the Forgotten Reserve, through Friary Park and the drag into down where big queen bumblebees were feeding on blossom well out of camera range. The river is now busy with narrowboats, well three or four, and the sight of a beautifully painted green barge made me incredibly envious about living on one.
Living on a barge would be fantastic for me, my floating writer palace, until it sank underneath me due to my cackhanded and clumsy maintenance.
Eventually I made my way through a Sconce Park swept by bonfire smoke, a horrible feeling when you are running believe me, and on to Rumbles where I enjoyed a cup of tea while watching couple of small tortoiseshells in the distance.
Tomorrow is the big spring sprung day here. I can feel it.
Si
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| Catkins in Beacon Hill Park |
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| Common violet |
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| Currant flowers on the woodland fringes at Beacon Hill |
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| Common speedwell, by B and Q! |
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| Speedwell close up |
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| Celandine putting on a fin display at the forgotten reserve, by the rubbish cluttered ditch |
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| Grape hyacinth |
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| Beautiful pink blossom at its peak, Appletongate |
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| Narrowboats on the water |
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| The green boat |
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| Cormorant! |
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| Jumped on one of the dredger tugs o get this shot |
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| Very sickly sweet frangrance on this stuff, Sconce Park |
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| Not sure this is a honey bee poking its bum out of the gorse |
Great to see all the wild flowers brightening up your route. The sickly sweet smell was Mahonia.
ReplyDeleteI met a couple last year who sold up everything and now live on a houseboat travelling the length and breadth of the UK. A super way to see the countryside but I think I would find the facilities a little cramped!
Thanks for your excellent rendition of the Chiffy's song Douglas. I'll be popping out tomorrow to see if any other migrants have arrived.
Lovely to see all the signs of Spring on your run Simon. I think you may be right about Spring being about to spring - beautiful mild, warm, sunny day here today :)
ReplyDeleteLost of nice flowers, Celandine seems to have exploded over the last few days it's every were, had my first Chiffchaff at the park and Peacock butterflies yesterday, and the sun is still shining....Yay...
ReplyDeleteAmanda xx
Celandine is having a great spring, loads of it everywhere, as I found today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your help with plant IDs, I am getting better but it's a darn slow process. There's a lot of plants out there!