First day back a work today but there is still time to add some birds to the year list. I was up early to get to work in good time, we have been preparing to merge two limited companies for a few months now and today we go live.
It was dark when I left the house but much lighter by the time I got to the canal, just in time to see a Kingfisher zip off into the distance. You would be surprised how easy it is to see a kingfisher, you just need to spend some time near water eventually one will turn up. Usually you just see an electric blue flash flying in t straight line about 1-2 feet off the water surface, nothing else looks the same. If you are really lucky you might see one perched.
Once at work it turned out not to be the busy day it promised to be, we (in IT ) did our bits then we spend the rest of the day waiting for Finance to do the reconciliation. That means the really busy day will be tomorrow.
My window at work has a great view over a field where lots of wildlife can be seen. Today I saw a fox, green woodpecker and a buzzard, which meant that over the day I had added a further 3 birds to the list. The green woodpecker was interesting as usually you see them on the ground eating ants, but this one was in a tree acting more like a Greater Spotted woodpecker. The buzzard was also unusual in that you usually see them up in the air, but this one was one the ground most of the time and flying just short distances. It did that for about 10 minutes, then eventually disappeared.
Last day for a walk before back to the daily grind. We had arranged to go for a walk with Connie and Abida, we touched base after breakfast and they had found a walk on the Bucks County council website at Hedgerley that took in the RSPB reserve at Church Wood.
The walk is circular and a figure of 8, and you can start at a pub called the White Horse, which promises great beer and pub food. So we parked at the pub and set off through the village then down Kiln Road, then we started to pick up signs for the circular walk. The path took us across rolling country with open fields and woods. There were quite a few clusters of old cottages here and there. The walk took us towards Burnham Beeches, into a woods called Egypt Wood, then turned back to wards where we had come. It was real horsey country and commuter belt. After about 2 hours we were back at the pub, rather than doing the Church Wood loop we decided to stop for lunch then do the other bit after.
The pub did great real ale and had a selection of over 10 real ales to choose from. The food was hearty and pub in style. I had a ploughmans, Connie and Abida had hot beef sandwich and Helen had cheesy nut loaf and chips. Once suitably refreshed we headed off round the other end of the loop, which after coming fro the warm pub was a bit a a struggle, but it was a short loop.
The White Horse
We then headed off home, with a stop off for the sale at Fox’s of Amerhsam. There were some great bargains to be head but none were right for us, will have to try again next year. I did try a coat on which was half price but it was too similar to the one that I already have.
The year list now stands at 45, we added two today Red Kite and Coal Tit.
Only a couple of days holiday left so helen and I thought we would make the most of it. It seemed to be much brighter today the sun was threatening to come out. I was charged with planning a route while Helen when to church. We had already discussed going to Chesham (Waxwings outside Waterstones) and perhaps along the river Chess, so I streetmaapped that are looking for possibilities. I settled on driving to Chorleywood then underground to Chalfont and Latimer then walk back along the river Chess. There is a much longer walk between Chesham and Rickmansworth, details of which can be found here.
Actually getting walking proved to be the hardest part of the day. We set the sat nav to get us to Chorleywood, but I suspect I chose shortest rather fastest because the quality of roads we navigated were narrow and rural. We finally got to Chorleywood and parked up on the common next to the Amersham road, then headed across the common towards the underground station. As we approached the underground station a BMW estate drove pas and my hand clouted it’s wing mirror, he/she did not even stop to check I was OK, if it had got me higher up my arm if could have done some damage.
Once at the station we god our tickets (£8) and headed onto the platform, only to find the gate to the tunnel was locked and we needed to be the other side of the ticket barriers, but the ticket machines would not let us back in. I managed to force open the barrier, which set off the alarm. Helen refused to squeeze through so we waited until someone opened the gates so she could nip through. During which time a train came to the station and departed, meaning a 30 minute wait for the next one.
The weir at Latimer house
Whilst waiting for the train I thought I would get some video footage for a small montage of our walk, but even that was not to be as an Aylesbury train came along before I had a chance, we had to hop on. At Chalfont and Latimer we again came up against locked doors trying to leave the station, but once out we headed through an old housing estate, and eventually came to a woods where the Chess valley walk was sign posted.
Finally we were out in the country side, much to Helen’s relief. It was all down hill to the bottom of the valley where the river was. We joined it level with Latimer house, where there is a lake a a large weir. As we crossed the bridge there where at least 6 large trout in the river. The footpath follows the side of the hill which can be a bit muddy and annoyingly awkward to walk on, but it soon levels out. We were walking with the river flow so the walk would be all down hill, in fact looking at the map it was all of 15 meters (from 78 at the bridge to 63 where we turned off).
View back up Chess valley
We saw quite a few birds on the way highlights were flocks of Redwing/Fieldfare and a single Bullfinch (female). Eventually we came to a very large cress bed farm at Sarratt Bottom which looked that it was a going concern. I wouldn’t mind returning later in the year to buy some. Along the way we also passed the tomb of William Liberty (died 1777) who was the local bridge builder, apparently he wanted to be buried alone so that his bones would not get mixed up when he got to heaven. Seems other people had different ideas as the plaque explains how his wife and possibly another family member were also buried there.
Finally it was time to leave the river valley and head up the hill to the car park. The walk had taken about 2 and a half hours and I reckon we walked about 5/6 miles. We will certainly return another day perhaps to make a day of it and do the full length 10 miles.
I like a good animation film, and Pixar in my opinion produce the best. Wall-e was on TV this afternoon and given the weather and our new large sofa, it felt wrong not to watch it.
Wall-e film poster
The film is about the last remaining robot left on earth after all the humans had departed after burying them selves in their own detritus. Wall-e spends all day making cubes out of the rubbish and piling them up into large piles. One day a problem from space lands and they become friends. The probe Eve spends most of the day searching and analysing. Eventually Eve finds the plant life she is searching for and leaves but not before Wall-e has hitched a ride, on the mother ship and ends up in space, to eventually save the human race fpor a life spent drifting across the universe.
The film is typical of Pixar and is full of humour to suit all ages, it is however not good enough to score more than the average 3 stars.
Today is the day you make new years resolutions. I don’t you should make any that are difficult to keep, so I am going to make an effort to keep a better track of the birds I see this year and Helen and I have also started an official garden list. What better way to start than to go for a walk with the nockers.
We were ready at the early (for new years day) time of 10am, and decided to head up to the area around Dancersend nature reserve, because there is a lot of game birds around which attract lots of country side birds. When we left the house it started to rain so we went up the hill to have a cup of coffee instead! Luckily for us there were plenty of birds on the bird feeders there including Greater Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch.
After coffee we headed out to Wilstone reservoir for a walk to the hide. The weather was miserable and grey, and we had the hide to ourself. Nothing unexpected was present it was great so see Little Egret, Snipe, and Common Gull. One we had endured the cold long enough we headed back to the car in the drizzle then went home for a bite to eat.
It was two o’clock and the year list stood at 33, not a bad start despite the dampened enthusiasm caused by the weather.
We felt the need to get out for some fresh air. We decided to do one of our favourite walks, not because it is spectacular but mainly because it is fairly local, just about the right length, and ends at a pub. The walk is circular and starts at The Old Swan at Swanbottom.
As we drover over to Swanbottom we left the bright skies of our side of the hills which were replaced by the fog on the Wendover side! We parked up outside the pub and headed down the path that runs to the left of the pub, and eventually got to the woods were we turned right and then came out at the filed that always seems to have stubble no matter what time of the year. Often you can see yellow hammer here. Once across the feild we headed across the road and along the footpath that eventually crosses Arrewig lane, at the house that has a very only combine harvester in an open out-building which is near the footpath.
Once through the garden we headed down a hill and into a woods where we headed right agin and kept in the woods for quite some time. There are lots of holly trees in the woods but although there were the odd berry on the ground there we almost none in the trees themselves, perhaps the birds have stripped them bare during the cold snap? I suspect not as I think we would have at least seen some in the trees, perhaps they were all males or female trees?
The weather then changed, it started to drizzle, we really had picked the best place to go for a walk today. Out of the woods by taking another right we headed up the hill away from the woods and cam across that lane with a funny name again. You come out at a large barn complex, and have to walk down the road for 100 yards before picking up the foot path the other side of the road. You then head down for a while before picking up a footpath that leads across a horses field that comes out at a road junction (T) on the corner of a woods. Out the other side of the woods, having kept rightish, we hit a field and then a road.
Just along the road the footpath goes through a farmyard, and then enters a wood which must be really close to The Lee. The path through the wood is always very muddy, but today the ground was still just frozen enough to keep us off of the mud. Just before you get to a house there is a footpath junction that heads towards Swanbottom. Another road to cross and then just up the path turn left past the large house with the horses field and you are back at the pub.
They do good food at the pub, father in law and I had fish and chips, Helen had veggie burger(not on the menu, but available to those that ask), and sister in law had proper burger. We had not seen many birds perhaps the weather was to blame, they were all on the other side of the hill in the sun maybe?
We were up at a reasonable 9:00 on boxing day and quickly had a breakfast and left my folks to head back home. The journey was straight but there were quite a few slow drivers about. You know the ones, those that only drive once a year, and are very cautious. Still we got back in good time.
Then it was off up the hill for Christmas part deux. Helen’s sister and brother in law were over and we had a lovely veggie lasagne for lunch. After lunch we headed out for a walk in the snow, along the canal towpath. We were a bit naughty as we all had a go at standing on the canal’s ice which held very well even if you jumped up and down on it.
After a walk the sisters went and did some sledging on a hill which in my opinion was not steep enough to get any speed up on. I went indoors to read the paper in the warm. Later on we went down the hill to join up with more in laws for more food and celebrations. Fun was had by all and the chase the ace trophy is now on it’s way to Wales.
We have had a surprisingly busy day. The usual sort of thing this morning; presents & mulled wine followed by much peeling, chopping, basting and boiling. Lovely lunch featuring home made chestnut stuffing and of course, bread sauce followed by…Christmas pudding, accompanied by flaming brandy or in Neil’s case, a bucket of custard.
Then Neil & I went for a walk down to the river for some much needed exercise. We walked around a mile and saw lots of birds, heron, long tailed tit, cormorant, redwing, fieldfare, blue tit, mallard, barnacle goose, red kite, buzzard, moorhen and a flock of geese that we struggled to id. Neil took a few photos and we pottered back as the sun was going down and it was getting chilly. Back to Neil’s folks where Neil realised he had lost his phone on the walk.
Was the phone lost here
Back out, assisted by Jack and down to the river. Some people were walking towards us and by chance Neil asked them if they had seen a mobile on their travels. They had spotted & retrieved it! They had called a number on it, my sis who had then called Neil’s Mum with their details, so Neil’s mum whipped on her wellies (complete with ice grips) to come in pursuit of us. So all was well, the nice folks did their Christmas good deed andwe all got a bit more fresh air & exercise than planned but did us good. Back now looking forward to an evening of Strictly & whist & maybe a tipple.
I think there might even be some bread sauce left too! Happy days 🙂
At the olds for Christmas and on the spur of the moment we all decided to go to the town carol service. The walk there was cold and the snow was freezing again. Earlier in the week the corner on the exit of the estate was covered in ice by the fire hydrant being tested, so they have had to put up with a sheet ice 90 degree bend for some time.
Down in the local market square the four local vicars shared the job of taking the proceedings, C of E, Methodist, Baptist and Trainee, all had a go at saying their bit. One of them did a talk about shopping trolleys and the speed that people go round the supermarkets but their did not seem to be a moral or conclusion to it.
On the way back I took a detour to the brightest house in town where the householder has quite and impressive light show, but the best bit was the four lighted dummies sat in the seats opf the car. If all goes well you should be able to see a video of it some where with the post.
For the technophiles amongst you the video was edited with kdenlive installed on a Netbook remix of ubuntu. Seems to do most of the stuff and more compared to other offerings about. Best of all it is free, as in beer and speech.
After yesterdays enjoyable walk I was keen to get back out into the fresh air again. I headed up Tring Hill so see what the traffic was like out and about. The road were nor to bad as it turns out there was plenty of snow and it looked icy on the road surface, there were far more 4×4 as a percentage of the total traffic, than normal. I even saw few cars with chains on! I am not sure if they are legal but I doubt the police would stop you for taking sensible precautions.
The traffic on the A41 was slow and there was only one lane of traffic each way. I then headed towards Tring and took a right towards the manor house which has a bridge over the dual carriageway. I was now back in to the countryside away from the traffic, it was very quiet. I was back on familiar ground and but could not decide which way to go, either a longer router via the crong or a shorter route straight up to Aston Hill. In the end I went in the middle, I headed towards Hanghill but then took a right along a foot path across the fields towards Dancersend manor. I came across the remanents of either a woodcock or a redlegged partridge, which had obviously become the victim of a fox in a struggle. Further on the was a large flock of yellow hammer. Once I had joined the footpath from Hanghill to the manor, I came across a dead crow, I wonder if it was a victim of the cold.
Dead crow
Once past the manor I headed back towards Aston but took the footpath that takes you up to the top of Aston Hill. It was a hard slog up the hill not many people had been up, so the snow was still deep. Just as I reache the golf club a bird flew across the path. It did not take long to figure out that it was a tawny owl. It had a stubby owl body and had that typical owl flight characteristics.
I then headed down the footpath that goes through the golf club. There were some people sledging on the fairways, I am not sure the green keepers would have approved but there was no golf going on so I guess it will do no one any harm.
Then it was down the hill for a coffee and cake at the in laws. Another great walk and a new life list tick to boot.
