Just back from a very cold couple of hours at Longham Lakes. No sign of the Scaup or Goldeneye, (bit like looking for a needle in a haystack among all the tufted ducks and coots) but I was very pleased to single out a couple of Mediterranean Gulls swimming along with the ubiquitous black-headed ones. A brief shower flushed out loads of woodland beauties and netted excellent views of some of my favourites as new for this year: several Goldfinch and Greenfinch, a very handsome Bullfinch, a Green Woodpecker sitting obligingly on a fencepost and a pair of Mistle Thrush. Worth getting wet for and taking my total to 62.
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30 miles from Winchester to Salisbury - September 14Just realised I walked this in September and made the page for my website, but never published it! Post walk update: Lost my big toe-nail after thwacking it and it's still growing back some 4 months later!! I liked the idea of walking between two beautiful cathedral cities and, at an alleged 24 miles, the Clarendon way seemed ideal for a long day walk. It is named after Clarendon Park on the edge of Salisbury, once the site of Clarendon Palace, a royal hunting lodge for Norman kings. The way was an important route linking the two medieval cities, royal palaces, hunting forests and rich residences, passing through some very charming villages along the way. It runs across high chalk downland, water meadows and chalk streams, Roman roads, country lanes, gently rolling farmland and woodland paths. The route follows long forgotten riding routes and is easy to navigate, although the use of these tracks and proximity to several villages can make you feel as if you are near the countryside rather than in it.
Beyond St. Cross was Oliver's Battery with an iron age earthwork. Its name comes from the civil war when it may well have been used as a camp site for the Parliamentarian forces attacking Winchester in 1645. After that it was a case of bridlepaths and country lanes until I reached Farley Mount Country Park. I was a little disappointed to find that the path skirted the edge of the park (basically a tarmacced hop between car parks) and didn't go through the acres of ancient woodlands that it looked over. But there was plenty of woodland walking later on in the day...There is a really cool monument to a horse on top of Beacon Hill, one of the highest points in Hampshire with good views all round. The inscription reads: Underneath lies buried a horse, the property of Paulet St. John Esq., that in the month of September 1733 leaped into a chalk pit twenty-five feet deep afoxhuntiing with his master on his back and in October 1734 he won the Hunters Plate on Worthy Downs and was rode by his owner and was entered in the name of "Beware Chalk Pit". And there were some HUGE spiders inside. A few more miles from here to my lunch stop at Kings Somborne. I have driven through the village many times when I was working in Basingstoke and taking the cross country way back home to avoid the M3. It was nice to explore a bit more, especially a decent pint in the Crown Inn and my pit stop to eat lunch in the churchyard (as usual). 12.5 miles covered. Shortly afterwards the path crosses the River Test then follows the Monarch's Way into Houghton, Broughton and Middle Winterslow, all very pretty villages with plenty of thatched cob cottages and several nice looking pubs. I loved crossing the many bridges over the fast flowing river and its crystal clear streams and saw a brown trout swimming upstream. John of Gaunt had a deer park nearby and the park pale is just about visible from the path near Broughton. The walking was over open farmland and old drove tracks. The path soon turns southwards at Winterslow and drops to Pitton - getting nearer to Salisbury now, but the light was fading and I was aware that the next stretch was through woods, so I donned my head-torch, checked the map and set off into the trees trying very hard not to think about the Blair Witch Project and freak myself out. I discovered that adrenalin can spur you on to greater speed even after 25 miles of walking. I also tripped on a large tree root and banged the be-Jazus out of my big toe, ouch. Emerging from the woods, I entered a field which looked like it was where the path went. It wasn't clear in the dark, although I could see the twinkling lights of Salisbury not too far away. Had a minor flap as didn't particularly want to get lost in a field near some woods in the dark with a good few miles still to go. But had another check of the map, found a strike point and headed off down the correct track. I walked past the remains of Clarendon Palace but didn't see them in the dark. Thought this was somewhat ironic, given the name of the path! Was very glad indeed to see the tallest spire in England lit up against the night sky and soon came to the outskirts of the city. Pete had texted me to say that he and Neil were quaffing ale in the Kings Head near the river off Silver Street. I sort of knew where it was so headed in the general direction down Brown Street - which I took to be Silver Street's dirty cousin. Unfortunately the pub changed from riverside bar to full on house disco just as I arrived. The bouncers seemed to be scrutinizing my hiking gear under their dress code. God forbid they would have stopped me going in. However, my enjoyment of a pint and fish and chips was slightly curtailed by the thumping decibels of both the awful music and the gangs of screeching girls and swearing lads. A shock to the system after a full day of solitude. Suffice to say it was a quick exit straight afterwards. We walked past the cathedral back to the car and I drove home to flop into bed at around midnight. Final stats: 29.7 miles (who ever said it was 24 was wrong!) at a healthy moving average of 2.9 miles per hour. Total time 12h 39 mins with 2h 33 mins stoppage and an overall average of 2.3 mph, which wasn't too bad over such a long distance. I was thinking about marathon runners doing 26 miles in 2 hours which is truly amazing. I was also thinking about songs with trains in them (as in The Farm's Groovy Train) and came up with quite a few. Tried it this morning with songs with moon in them, again quite a few until Pete topped them all with Moonpig.com. Time to grow toenail back 4 months and counting.
06.09.14 Very pleasant afternoon at Blashford Lakes, with the following new spots for 2015, bringing my total to 57: Snipe, Pochard, Goosander, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Nuthatch, Greenfinch, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail. I had hoped to spy a Bitterne, but to no avail. Also, a ferrugineous duck had been spotted, but I couldn't find it (shame as that would have been totally new for me). But the Grey Wagtail was enchanting and it's been ages since I spotted Snipe so fair do's. I do like the Woodland Hide as there are several feeders there and the garden birds are adorable to watch coming and going, something that we could never contemplate in our garden! I also enjoyed watching the Cormorants coming home to roost in the trees at the edge of Ivy South Hide.
My only moan....it is great that lots more people are getting interested in bird watching, but I do wish they would learn some etiquette about how to behave in hides. This means talking quietly, not slamming the door shut, not wearing the most rustly clothes in the world ever and then rustling about a lot and most definitely number one fail - do NOT put your flipping hands out of the windows. Ever. They are called hides so that we can hide in them and flapping your hands about outside just frightens the birds away. So I was lucky to see my 3 Snipe in peace before the birders from hell came into the hide and I was obliged to move on as I was literally twitching!! But you don't need to go far to surround yourself with nothing other than soothing birdsong. Glorious. |
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