Spring Has Sprung

Friday 27th February 2015

Well, it has for today anyway!  Here are a few pictures taken today when it was sunny and warmer but still cool in the wind.

Here we have a nice bit of showy colour from the crocuses and there were a surprising amount of daisies about too.

You could almost believe it was the summer on Swanage Beach (apart from the wind that is!)

It's obviously not summer, there isn't a soul on the beach, just how I like it.

Later in the village of Corfe Castle there were plenty of snowdrops.

Swathes of them on the banks and in pretty cottage gardens.

Wandering  around the small lanes of Corfe Castle, looking for snowdrops, we came across many lovely old cottages and quaint buildings. (the dog walking locals were very cheerful too).

Corfe Castle

Friday 27th February 2015

I haven't been to see the Castle at Corfe for many years so as it was a lovely bright afternoon we decided it was time to pay it a visit ( I don't know why we haven't, we're National Trust members so entrance is free!)  For me it was especially good because there were very few visitors around but  I would imagine in the summer it must be teeming with people.

Corfe Castle is an iconic ruined medieval castle, for information on the castle, go to the National Trust information  here. 

I was surprised by how big the castle is, it must have been pretty impressive in it's heyday.

This is the gateway, it has split in the middle and the left section has dropped considerably lower than the right, you'd have trouble fitting a door in that nowadays!

I took this to try and show the amazing thickness of the walls.

A flock of some of my favourite sheep, herdwicks, graze the steep slopes that drop away from the castle.

I did say they were steep slopes!

There are stunning views from all around the castle, this photo is looking down on the village of Corfe Castle.

The sky was an unbelievable blue, amazing. 

To finish off the afternoon. leaving the castle we couldn't resist the lure of the tearooms for a  cream tea, delicious!

Crow Rescue - A Good Deed Done!

Thursday 26th February 2015

There is one very happy crow flying around Swanage today.  On a visit to my mother in laws house we heard scratching and scrabbling coming from the small space (only about 8 -10" wide) between her 6ft fence and the next door neighbours conservatory.  I was dubious about checking down there, thinking it was possibly a rat, but luckily my husband is braver than me and got the ladder out to check it out.  There squeezed down at the bottom with absolutely no way of escape was a fed up looking crow -  it must have been well unhappy trapped in there!  

A plan was hatched and it was a case of dismantling the bottom of the fence and throwing down some soggy bread to the terrified one.  It seemed glad of the food and ate what was offered.  Once the bottom of the fence was free it only took a little while for the poor thing to reverse up, tempted with bread and to limbo under the small gap.  Still with a beak full of bread it came out, shook itself down and instantly flew off. On reflection I could have taken a photo of it but we were more concerned with freeing it at the time. 

I have no idea how long the crow had been trapped but I feel a good deed was done.

NB

Have just had a brisk walk along the beach at Swanage.  It may have been gloves and scarf off yesterday but it was short lived, today I could have done with both, it was really freezing in the wind!

It was cold in the wind, goodness knows what it was like standing in the sea!

Ipley Inclosure

Wednesday 25th February 2015

We parked at Longdown car park this afternoon for a pleasant three mile walk through Ipley Inclosure.  The New Forest ponies in this area are obviously quite relaxed around people, they must be well used to humans as this car park is always very busy with dog walkers.  These ponies just stood and watched.

I particularly like the little white pony balancing on the gate in the background!

It was almost tropical at 12C this afternoon, scarf and gloves no longer required, well for today anyway.

Mud, churned up by this.............

heavy machinery that had been destroying Ipley Inclosure and left this....

...... nothing, absolutely every tree gone and left in

log piles!

A sad sight, no trees.

A peaceful New Forest scene.

Near to this spot we successfully found a geocache. we haven't done much caching of late but we'll get back into it soon, we've missed the Forest.

First Dawn Chorus of 2015

Friday 20th February 2015

A quick note just to say that I noticed the first dawn chorus of the year last Sunday, the 15th Feb. It started off the week quite quiet and understated but by this morning it was bold and brassy, with all and sundry joining in and really going for it.  I'm sure there is some sort of competition on for who can sing the loudest, but I'm not complaining, I love it.

One other quick note, the song thrush is back, he/she has been rooting around in the garden on and off for the last couple of weeks, that is until he/she is spied by one of our blackbirds who appear to have taken a dislike to it and see it off at great speed.  As I have mentioned before we don't see the thrush often but when we do it seems to be at exactly the same time of year for just a few weeks, odd. 

Swyre Head

Tuesday 17th February 2015

Today the weather was fantastic with plenty of sunshine and a clear blue sky.  It was so nice that we had two walks, one into Swanage for coffee and back in the morning, all very civilised! Then in the afternoon we drove a short distance of about 5 miles to have a second walk at Swyre Head.  The car park was more than a bit muddy and sloshy and the only place left to park was in a muddy puddle but it would take more than a puddle to halt our plans, and once we had left the car park things improved underfoot.  The walk is uphill all the way to the top of the cliff but the reward once you are up there is an amazing view along the coast towards Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth beyond.  

Shortly after walking through a field of very lovely woolly faced sheep, we came across this memorial seat dedicated to those who gave their lives in flying accidents at this spot at Swyre Head.

As you walk uphill you get a good view of Encombe House (a privately owned large estate) down below in the valley.

Zooming in on Encombe House.

A coastal view towards Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth (supersized, so hanging over the edge of my blog!)

On the way back downhill I zoomed in on the view in front of us with Corfe Castle in the foreground and Poole Harbour and Poole in the background.

Back through the field of sheep - loads of them!

Nearly all had their backs to us - don't know if it was something we said!

Finally, on our walks into Swanage over the last few months we noticed a very distinctive tree which has lots of unusual long catkins on it, I remembered to take some photos of it today and looked it up, apparently the common name for it is the silk tassel bush and the botanical name is garrya. 

The silk tassel bush.

The catkins look rigid but when you touch them they are soft and pliable and the leaves are shiny and evergreen, I really like this tree/bush, it's quite striking and different.

Another good day.

Back at our Old Stomping Ground - Ice and Birds

Thursday 5th February 2015

We haven't had a chance to walk on Southampton Common for a while so it was nice this afternoon to have the time to go and visit it.  This last week has been pretty cold and icy and today was no exception, at one stage walking into the wind my face was so cold that I think I could have had facial surgery and not felt it my face was that cold.  

The Boating Lake sadly is still empty of water but both the Ornamental and Cemetery Lakes were bustling with activity and bird sound.  The Ornamental Lake had a large amount of ice across the middle of it but the swans knew exactly how to negotiate it with ease and the coots quite happily wandered about on it.  

Synchronised swans.

The ducks on the other side of the lake were very vocal - maybe they were complaining about the cold - I know was!

This mistle thrush was pecking around close to the footpath and we didn't notice it until it flew off. I am used to seeing song thrushes but this thrush was noticeably bigger.

Near one of the entrances on the Avenue there was a large rhododendron bush in flower, it seemed odd to see such colour in the cold.

There were robins, magpies and wood pigeons everywhere.

With a lap of the Common completed it was time to go home for a well earned cup of tea and to thaw out!