Sack the Kelham Hall Snowdrops!

With a couple of days off and crisp blue skies, I executed the first of my planned excursions and headed out on my bike to  Kelham Hall to have a look at the snowdrops there.

If any of you remember any of my previous posts about heading out there? White carpets of snowdrops would cover the area by the church at this time of year.

This year it is rather disappointing, although compared to most places there's still an awful lot of little white flowers out there. I was just hoping to give you more of a spectacle.

Anyway, I decided to extend my bike ride and made it a 90 minute affair, going through the villages to the north-west of town; Little Carlton, Bathley, the Muskhams. There was an awful lot of birds around the hedgerows and in the trees; best was a huge and evil looking buzzard I rode directly under although I didn't fear being predated upon.

Speaking of birds there is a farm between the two Muskhams I shall refer to as "Bird Farm". Guarded by a formidable row of haystacks upon which a buzzard is usually sentried, in winter there are thousands of birds flying round the place; pigeons, gulls, crows and starlings.

I'm guessing they are attracted to large amounts of animal feed lying around. I've never dared go up the drive to have a look though!

Maybe next time I should and see what birds there really are.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.02.19

Around the Villages by Bike

After a wet, miserable day yesterday where there was barely any light to take a photograph all day, today was rather better and despite quite a fresh wind I was determined to get out on the bike and have a bit of a ride around.

I say determined, this wasn't quite the reality. I like riding my old mountain bike, but some days I'm a bit nervous about it - Will I puncture? Will any of the roads be dangerous? Will I get rained on and end up like a drowned rat with an annoyingly wet backside?

I decided I would be OK, and headed out in the opposite direction from normal, out to Kelham and the villages to the north of Newark. There are some narrow roads and some nasty blind corners, but I took it easy, taking in the views of the lowering sun and the  power station, the hills around Kelham and the various churches on my route.

I only did 20km, but you take in the villages of Kelham, Little Carlton, Bathley, and North and South Muskham on this route, and there's stuff to see all the way along; folk like to have cute summer houses in their gardens in these villages, and there are birds to see; fieldfare in the hawthorns, crows in the fields, and an echelon of big waterfowl overhead; no idea what these were and my photo will not help identification!

I had a look at North Muskham Lake, where a cormorant was doing its pterodactyl wing drying thing out on a raft in the middle of the water, and compared those waters to the sterile building site that are the waters of the former sailing club.

I hate what the fishing club done to that place.

Si

All text and images copyright 02.12.18

On not Visiting Southwell Ploughing Match

I was getting set to go for an afternoon run, when a quick look on my Instagram feed revealed that Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust had a stall at Southwell Ploughing Match, and seeing as I'd never been to a ploughing match before, I thought it might be fun to bike out there and visit them.

It was a lovely day for a ride too, bright and crisp, not too cold and windy.

Southwell Ploughing Match was of course, no where near Southwell. The wildlife trust said it was at South Muskham, so I headed out there. No ploughing match. I rode on to North Muskham, and a quick visit to the nature reserve there, but there was no ploughing going on there either.

A quick look at my phone then revealed that the match, which I thought would be a couple of hundred people and a tea van watching some blokes trundling around a field. It actually turned out that it was at  Little Carlton, was the largest one day agricultural show in the county, and cost ten quid to get into. I did see it away in the distance though. That's the only picture you get.

Having "Scottish blood" - OK I'm a bit tight! - that was a bit much for a couple of  hours, so I cycled back into town and went to the park for a cup of tea. In no sense a wasted afternoon!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.09.18

Swallows and Kestrels on a North Muskham Run

I realise that I haven't provided you with any more adventurous content for a while, winter makes cycling and longer distance cross country running rather tricky. My run along the Farndon river stretch partly made up for it; today I went further afield, out to North Muskham Lake.

This is on the very fringe of my running capabilities, I'd say, being not far off 5 miles from home.

As it turned out, it was a day for looking up, rather than looking down. I thought there would be a lot of flowers out at Muskham Lake, but as it turned out, aside from a few cowslips and beautiful willow blossom, there wasn't a whole lot to be seen.

But the sky, well the sky was busy with life. Two male buzzards were spiralling up on a thermal by the Great North Road, while a clumsy human on a motorised paraglider surrendered to gravity in my same field of view. South Muskham church was being used as a watchtower by at least three, and perhaps even four kestrels, which flew off the south face of the clock tower as I approached, scalpelling the air with molecule thin wings.

And then, after a circuit of the lake, and an enjoyable run along the Muskham Ferry stretch of the river, I saw it. A bird on a wire, by the big barned farm at the entrance to North Muskham that always seems so attractive to birds. A small, dark bird, but a highly significant one.

The first swallow of the year, glossy black blue plumage and tail streamers like stilettos. Red face plain as a robin's breast. Sat quietly watching me, waiting for the precise moment I deployed my camera-phone to fly off south with that beautiful, powerful flight.

April 7th. I remember my first swallows and sand martins of last year. They all descended upon Kingsmill Reservoir on the same day, probably a week or two later. Remember it well, my mother was in hospital there for a month. A time of stress, relieved by my walks around the water.

So though it was only one swallow, it was seen in rather happier circumstances.

Si

Bonus bee fly at the start of my run

South Muskham church tower

Ancient tombs

Berries, blossom and church, North Muskham

Celtic cross in North Muskham churchyard

Willow flowers, North Muskham Lake

Across the water

Cowslip

Docked conveniently close to the pub

First green alkalet of the year

South Muskham dovecote, sans doves