Farley Mount - Again

Wednesday 20th August 2014

We last visited Farley Mount a couple of weeks ago when we saw red kites soaring high above the fields, so today we went to try and find them again, this time armed with binoculars and a decent camera.  Predictably as we came prepared we didn't see any!  However we found five geocaches and saw some spectacular views across the countryside which is beginning to look quite autumnal and golden yellow.

This is how we found today's first geocache, not particularly well hidden is it?!!

Looking north towards Andover way, across a beautifully ploughed golden field. (I have enlarged the photo to show the funky stripes)

There's definitely less green and more golden brown in the views now.

It's possible to see for miles from here.

A couple of weeks ago this field was bare soil, today it was tinged with new green growth,.  At this point we were looking in the distance and up high for any signs of red kites but whilst looking up we nearly missed this...

.... a small deer running across this large expanse of sweeping field! (taken by zooming in beyond the point of no return!!)

There are lots of seeds and berries in the hedgerows now,

autumns coming!

It was noticeably cooler this morning too, I wore jeans for the first time in ages, but by lunchtime the sun was hot and I wished I had worn my shorts, maybe summer will hang on for a bit longer.

Ducklings and a Hedgehog

Tuesday 19th August 2014

I have a couple of quick notes from the last few days to share.  Firstly in Romsey on Monday I came across these two quite big ducklings sunning themselves at the edge of a river tucked away in the back streets, well worth a photo I thought.

Also in this very clear river were masses of tiny fish that I found a bit mesmerizing to watch.

Ducklings in the sunshine.

Here they are in the bottom right of the river and mum is halfway up the photo on the left keeping a watchful eye on them

The other thing I wanted to mention was that in eighteen months of walking in our neighbourhood very regularly (often in the dark) we have not until yesterday seen a hedgehog.  I was really pleased to see it running along the pavement, it stopped briefly when it saw us then scurried off under the nearest fence.  We used to see hedgehogs quite a bit on our front grass or they left evidence that they had been there, but we haven't seen one for some time, it's such a shame.

Dibden Inclosure on the Edge of Beaulieu Heath

Wednesday 13th August 2014

We haven't walked very often in this part of the New Forest , mainly because we assumed that as it was on the edge of the Forest it would be busy with dog walkers (and there were quite a few).  There were two geocaches in the area that we wanted to try and find and this we did easily.  This was who we found at the first one.

About a dozen New Forest Ponies in the shade.

The name of the cache was Refinery View, and this was the view.

Fawley Refinery behind the flowering heather.

There's still mud and water about, in fact in places this walk was still quite boggy, goodness only knows what it's like after lots of rain like we had last winter! - I don't even want to go there!!

A Forest view on the way to the second cache, in the distance, although not visible in this picture, were cranes in Southampton Docks.

The heather is just coming out and the heath will soon be a carpet of pink, buzzing with bees.

Swanage at the Height of the Season

Tuesday 12th August 2014

This evening after visiting family in Swanage we had a blustery walk along the beach and on to Peveril Point where there are good views overlooking the town and Bay.  I am not dead keen on Swanage in the Summer and it doesn't get much busier than in the school summer holidays. There were too many people about for my liking, and most of them it seemed were eating fish and chips!

A stealthy camouflaged young herring gull. (I wanted to take another photo that was zoomed in a bit more but a young child had other ideas and chased it away, so that was that!)

Even at 7pm there were a few hardy souls with their camps still set up behind wind breaks.

We walked uphill away from the people to where it was nice and quiet, overlooking Swanage.

Old Harry Rocks with Bournemouth beyond that.

Swanage Pier.

Fishing boats in the bay.

Moody Swanage.

It's Lifeboat Week in Swanage this week and although the lifeboat was all tucked up inside, this is the lifeboat station.

Then it was back through the people eating their fish and chips to the car and time to go home.

Itchen Riverside Boardwalk

Sunday 10th August 2014

After a wet, windy and thundery morning, this afternoon was a very pleasant change, warm and sunny but still quite blustery.  We chose to walk somewhere totally different, alongside the River Itchen in central Southampton from St Denys to Northam.  We only passed a few people but what there was plenty of was rubbish, goodness knows what visitors to the football stadium think of Southampton when they visit. Now I'll get off of my high horse and continue!!!

A view up river towards Bitterne Park, from the board walk. ( where we found a sneaky geocache).

The same view from further on round, the tide was just going out.

We walked as far as St Mary's Stadium, the home of Southampton Football Club, where a traction engine happened to be passing - with some difficulty through narrow roadworks -  I have no idea where on earth it was going or had been in central Southampton!

The front of St Mary's Stadium,

with a passing traction engine.

Structures at St Mary's.

The stadium from behind.

More signs of industry.

The fish pond at Siemens train depot, with a visitor.

The Siemens Northam Traincare Facility, (where I understand some very skilled electricians work) with well kept allotments in the foreground.

Back at the river, a family of swans glided by,

 followed by another larger family. 

An enjoyable walk in an area I would definitely return to.

Terracotta Horses in Romsey

Friday 8th August 2014

Here are a few photos from this morning's quick stop in Romsey.  I usually walk from the car park through the gardens of King John's House as it's a hidden gem, today however there were lots of horses, little ones made of terracotta and they made quite an impressive sight, I was really pleased I to have come across them.   
  

About the project.

Every one is different.

On the boards in the background there are many poignant old photos of soldiers.  For information on the remount camp in Romsey, click here

In another part of the garden of King John's House is a favourite view looking through an archway towards Romsey Abbey.

Farley Mount and Red Kites

Sunday 3rd August 2014

A view from close to the folly at Farley Mount.

We had a short walk at Farley Mount this afternoon and to be honest I couldn't really be bothered, until we we spotted 5 or 6 red kites flying above a valley and landing in the fields.  At one point they were quite close and we were able to clearly see their wing markings along with their distinguishing browny red v shaped tails.  You can't help but be lifted by the sight of these birds which not so long ago were very rare and now after being re-introduced are now seen more often.

The folly.

The monument is dedicated to a horse named 'Beware Chalk Pit', that is buried beneath the folly.

The red kites were flying above this field and landing occasionally in it.

The views are stunning from all around the highest point, with the cranes in Southampton Docks, the chimney at Fawley Power Station, the Isle of Wight and Fawley oil refinery clearly visible in the distance.

These apples are looking good,

as are the masses of sloes alongside the footpath.

I've always like the look of yew berries, that whole unreal waxy look.

About the Country Park.