Sadlers Mill - Romsey

Tuesday 7th May 2013

This evening as part of our get walking most days campaign we had a walk around Romsey.  In the winter months there were very few people about of an evening in Romsey (funnily enough) but this evening having had a few days of warmth and sunshine there were people out walking all over the place.  We walked around the back streets of the town centre admiring small cosy cottages, past Romsey Abbey, through the Memorial Park and on to Sadlers Mill and the River Test.  I have honestly never seen as many mothy/fly/midge things in all of my life as there were there, it's making me itch just thinking about them!

 Across the fields and a funky sky.

Sadlers Mill

A lovely spot, shame about the midges.

Looking back along the River Test towards the mill.

We wandered back past more cosy cottages and back into the centre of Romsey.  It was a very pleasant walk in a lovely place.

Apple blossom in our garden.

Meanwhile, back in our garden we have a small braeburn apple tree that we have in a large pot and this year it is absolutely loaded in blossom, it's the best it's ever looked.  I hope the bees like it as much as me!

North Stoneham Park & First Swallows in Hampshire

Tuesday 30th April 2013

This week we have noticed that spring is really getting going - buds are bursting and the bushes and trees have quite a green tint about them.

In the glorious sunshine we had a walk this afternoon at North Stoneham Park in Eastleigh.  http://www.northstoneham.org.uk/park/  We saw plenty on what was a fairly short walk, we saw cows and calves, a buzzard being pestered by a rook, geese flying overhead, ducks and about 50 - 60 starlings flying around the cattle field. 

We also saw our first swallows of 2013 in Hampshire - summer must be coming at last!

No walk is complete without finding a geocache and today's was amongst the bluebells - just beginning to bloom.

Back near the car park is Stoneham War Shrine which was erected in 1918 to commemorate those who served and died in the Great War of 1914 - 1918.  It was restored in 2011 to honour all those who placed their lives in danger through service to their country.  The Shrine is open regularly.  All visitors are welcome.

 Around the park there are many lime trees? with mistletoe growing in them.  

Back at the car, the car park overlooks a playing field where there seemed to be some sort of meeting of dogs and owners, maybe it was dog agility training or something but most of the dogs seemed to be border collies and they all seemed to be having a great bouncing time!

Calshot

Monday 29th April 2013

Calshot Beach

Today we had a walk along  Calshot beach which overlooks the Isle of Wight at the end of Southampton Water.  There were lots of black headed gulls about as well as oyster catchers, turnstones herring gulls, crows and lots of rock pipits (we think!)  It was very quiet at Calshot today (people wise) but there were plenty of small boats, yachts and ferries around (travelling between Southampton and Cowes).

Catfish (unfortunately dead!)

In the sea we saw this fish, some sort of catfish? unfortunately it was dead but quite impressive at about two foot long.

Calshot Castle

We wandered along the beach to the lifeboat station and castle at the end of Calshot Spit.  http://www3.hants.gov.uk/calshot-castle.htm    As it was a clear day we could easily see the Isle of Wight, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth and  the forts out in the solent  http://www.clarenco.com/solent-forts/

Cowslips

Sunday 28th April 2013

This evening we popped out to look for a cache near Winchester.  Along a footpath very close to several main roads we came across lots of cowslips, masses in fact.

Cowslips

On the downside there were lots of midges out this evening, so we located a very cleverly hidden cache and returned to the car. 

Canadian War Memorial and First Cuckoo

Saturday 27th April 2013

Spring may have sprung the other day but it's sunk without a trace again, it's back to cold winds and hail showers.  Today we parked at the Canadian War Memorial in the New Forest,  this memorial commemorates World War II Canadian forces present in the New Forest before the D Day invasion of June 6th 1944.

Shortly after leaving the car we heard our first cuckoo of the year, there was no sign of it but it was very loud and clear - watch out little birds!

We were out looking for a puzzle geocache that had us scratching our heads for a fair while this morning but having made an origami water bomb and solving the puzzle we were able to locate the cache easily! 

The cache was hidden in thisholly tree and the deer had obviously been there before us as the marks on the tree prove.

First Baby Blackbirds of the Year

Tuesday 23rd April 2013

This morning brought the first two baby blackbirds of the year into our garden and they were being fed by very attentive parents.  I went into the garden armed with the usual array of bird food early this morning without realising they were still in the garden so there was much scrabbling and flapping as they tried to get over the fence away from me!  They must have got away because I didn't see them again all day.  Spring has finally sprung today, I'm not sure if it will be a one off but it was very hot in the sun and very pleasant while it lasted.

Stoney Cross - Early Evening

Saturday 20th April 2013

It's back home to the usual routines again now but this evening we walked a couple of miles at Stoney Cross in the New Forest to find a geocache.  On the way to the cache we skirted round the edge of a large herd of fallow deer, there must have been about 20 but as we only had my camera (which doesn't zoom in very far) the pictures are not great.  They got a bit spooked when we were still some distance away so we couldn't get very close.

Deer at a distance!



By around 8pm the forest had that dusky earthy smell, reminiscent of evenings at Guide camps years ago.  There were also rabbits out and about scurrying here and there.  We found the cache we were looking for easily and learnt a bit more about the Stoney Cross airfield during the war from the cache details, it was all very interesting.

Long leggy shadows

Back at the car whilst taking off our walking boots, some friendly New Forest ponies obviously thought that opening the boot of the car meant food or picnics - sadly not the case - and one brazenly stuck his head in for a good look round.

Having a good nose round!