Another Coddington Walk

Finally, after 4 fruitless days of waiting for a boiler to be fixed - apparently I'm getting a new one next week which I will believe when I see - I've got a bit more freedom during the day and was able to get outside and walk.

I needed a long one, as I feel a bit far this week - too many jaffa cakes I think which I've become addicted to in lockdown as they are cheap as anything. I've not been able to run this week either as I have a slight calf strain and need to preserve it for cricket tomorrow.

After a visit to my stepfather, where we discussed an all action police car chase that took place in the next street down this morning, I carried on towards Coddington, just for the sake of wanting to go a bit further out - serious walking is planned this winter, I hope.

It was cool but not cold, pleasant enough. There wasn't a lot to see as all insect life seemed to decide to keep out the way today, I was reduced to photographing a very colourful garden next to the cattery that looked rather cat unfriendly, filled as it was with scrap cars and farm machinery while a mad doberman barked next door.

It was really just one foot in front of the other stuff, nothing eciting, just the joy of being out there, bimbling along, listening to the radio.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.09.20

Cottage Lane Nature Reserve

Back running today, a beautiful late afternoon for a run too. It made me feel like going a bit further afield than the park or the cricket ground, so I headed out to Farndon.

When I last headed out to Cottage Lane reserve, we were in the midst of the February floods and while the reserve itself wasn't too bad, all the routes to the river beyond that were barred by marshy ground and ponds of standing water.

No such problems today after the sunny spells, and the reserve and beyond were far more pleasant places. It's only a small reserve, with small ponds and small stand of trees, but it was full of birdsong when I visited today, lots of small songbirds fluttering about, a chiff chaff singing and lots of calls I couldn't identify.

All the winter thrushes are long gone. Swallows and martins are being photographed in the area, but I haven't seen them yet. What I did see today from my tiny yard were two buzzards, soaring high above urban townscape, which I'm really not used to seeing.

This evening a solitary specimen circled lower, white patches on its wings clearly visible.

It's been good soaring weather.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.04.20