Evenings rambling

homerhop

Got a bit of bad news on the job front just before work finished this evening. Needed some air so I went over to the wood for a stroll, checked on the ducks, they are milling around the pond happy enough. walked down by the weeping ash at the edge of the wood, out in the fields there were a good amount of pheasants dotted on the outlying headlands. Stood for a few minutes listening to a few magpies calling and could also hear a buzzard calling further on down.
Set off in the direction of the calling and in a tree about 300 yards out from the wood a pair of them were calling and then behind me there was one in the distant calling back. I hadnt seen them around in a while but it is good to know there are 3 of them still over there and hopefully by the end of the summer a few more. Stood there listening and could have kicked myself for not bringing the camcorder. I charged the bloody thing the other day.
Walked down a bit further and heard a few branches and leaves underfoot being moved and a hare popped out on the path infront of me, he stood for a minute and looked then hopped off into the beach trees, the grass field to the left of the wood had fresh tyre marks on it so it must have come in for a bit of refuge while the farmer had been working.
I stood out between 2 old iron gates and glanced down the ditch into the freshly sown barley field,a fine big cock pheasant was picking about 40 yards out and he didnt see me, I noticed a hen running in that had been a bit further out and thought there was no way that she had seen me, and then out popped good old mr hare again, he and the pheasant had a bit of a staring match before I stood right out making myself visible to the both of them.
Back into the wood and cut across the main path to where I had seen the crow being taken by the hawke on christmas eve. Coillte had a machine in lately and the drains are a lot better with a good flow on the water, just as I crossed the drain 2 mallard got up quacking in protest. I had seen them last monday evening on another drain further into the wood. Nice to see the wild onecs coming off the river and heading inland to breed.
Our local gun club in fairness have spent a lot of time opening back up natural ponds within the wood that had been totally over grown and it seems to be bringing the wild ducks back , a few weeks ago I spotted a pair of teal on one of them.
The days news was put in the back of my mind and I was enjoying seeing so much in such a shot space of time, I hadnt seen a hare in the wood in a while and i was thinking about it as I rounded the last stretch on the back of the wood. I could hear a sound in the distance and I really had to stop and listen, I was looking in the sky and trying to get a bearing on the direction as sometimes the wood can throw sounds. Then I copped the flight pattern and a skein of about 40 geese cackling away flew over in a westerly direction which were followed a bit furter to the left by a skein of similar size. It must be 20 years or so since I have seen a flight of geese go over this direction and it was really a wonderful way to end a de stressing stroll in the woods.

Mothman

Thanks for sharing your ramblings and sorry to hear of your bad news.

Birdnuts

Mothman wrote: »

Thanks for sharing your ramblings and sorry to hear of your bad news.

+ 1


The enjoyment I get from Nature keeps me sane - especcially given the history of depression in my family and the stressfull times we live in