Great Covert Woods

Tuesday 4th March 2014

We set out today to try and find five geocaches located fairly close to home in an area that we have only walked in once before.  One of the footpaths into the woods at Great Covert starts off on the edge of the housing estate in Valley Park and  we walked almost to North Baddesley in what can only be described as slightly challenging conditions! The first cache involved arranging 21 large pebbles into a set of co-ordinates - had we read the instructions properly in the first place we wouldn't have wasted so much time bumbling about with no idea what was going on but all became clear once we read what we were actually meant to be doing!!!!!

The footpath was muddy to say the very least and there were masses of fir tree branches everywhere, blown down by the recent high winds I suppose.  At one point we chose to leave the main path which was more like some sort of muddy skating rink and go on an alternative route.  This turned out to be a mistake as many people had obviously had the same idea and this path also turned into mud and slippiness  with the added obstacles of fallen trees to throw into the mix.  The amount of fallen trees in this wood was unbelievable, we thought it was bad at Longdown a few weeks ago but this was even worse.  At one stage we lost the footpath altogether as trees were down all around us, such a shame to see.  I tried to take photos of the devastation but they don't capture the scene very well at all, but here are a few.

Climbing in amongst the trees we saw two deer, fallow we think - t they didn't hang around for long once they saw us.

At this point we were looking for another geocache and the clue to help find it was - in the roots of a fallen tree, not a great deal of help!!  By some miracle we did find an older fallen tree and luckily found the very small container hidden in amongst the roots.  I stood at the cache site, looked round and counted 32 fallen trees, with many more hidden behind these.

Here, there was no other way than through, balance and skill required.

This is looking across the fields to St Johns Church in North Baddesley (on the right of the photo).  There were a few lapwings flying around the field making quite a noise, I'm not sure if it was us that they had a problem with but they didn't seem overly happy.

Will these footpaths ever dry out?  Just imagine the squelchy sound effects that go with the wellies and mud.

To sum up today's walk, we found 5 geocaches, slipped through lots of mud, climbed over, under and through umpteen trees and only walked just over three miles but it seemed a lot further as progress was slow!

Corfe Castle & Swanage

Monday 24th February 2014

The plan today was to do a bit of geocaching and get a quick walk in before visiting family in Swanage, but unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side so we had a change of plan.  We stopped off at a fantastic view point not far from Corfe Castle but the view was less than inspiring as we were high up in the cloud and mist.

Things rapidly deteriorated and the planned walk didn't happen.

In the bright bit in the distance is the sea with Portland Bill just about visible.  We'll have to return here in better weather - if we ever get any better weather that is!

As we drove downhill slightly we came out of the cloud and thing's were a lot clearer.  Here is Corfe Castle from a back lane.  I was pleased to see that there were lots of lovely Herdwick sheep on the steep slopes up to the castle today - they have the most fantastic little faces, all smiley and happy.

In the afternoon the rain stopped briefly so we went in to Swanage for a breath of fresh air.

Swanage pier.

We parked near the pier and walked out to Peveril Point and back then along to the beach for a quick look.  It was deserted in the town apart from a couple of school parties and a few locals, just how I like it.

Moody Swanage.

Near Swanage lifeboat station.

A welcome bit of colour (I thought there was a bumble bee on the flower  on the left but after zooming in it appears to be a moth.

A mosaic on the pavement outside a fish and chip shop.

Longdown Again - Caching!

Saturday 22nd February 2014

We managed to crack the answer to a puzzle cache today based on breeds of dogs, (I had absolutely no idea there were so many!) and the co-ordinates took us back to Longdown, somewhere we had been just over a week ago.  We didn't go out until late on in the afternoon, but luckily we found the cache easily and then had a quick walk.  

A sandy track with no mud!

More fallen trees with massive roots.

In one area, controlled burning was taking place.

Controlled burning and forest operations are taking place.

Not something you see everyday in the New Forest.

Just a little further on there were lots of young trees growing, which was good to see after the devastation earlier.

The sun started to go down and the air got cooler.

Shortly after this a large dog charged at us through a stream and disgusting green brown mud and it jumped up at me and made me very muddy, what did the owners in the distance do or say - NOTHING! How angry was I?  I have to say I left them in no doubt as to how angry I was.  I don't dislike dogs but why is it that dog owners don't get the fact that not everyone out walking wants to say hello or be bothered by their dogs.  Anyway, that's my rant over with, as the saying goes, I must let it go .................

PS  Driving home near Colbury, I'm fairly sure that I saw a muntjac deer on the far side of a field, munching happily.  Muntjac deer are the smallest of all UK deer - adults stand approximately 45cm at the shoulder - the muntjac deer of the New Forest are apparently very few in number and extremely hard to find, so I'm now not so sure if it was one.

Crocuses and a Monkey Puzzle Tree

Friday 21st February 2014

We had a quick two mile walk around Southampton Common this morning, probably not my best idea as it was half term and there were lots of people, children, dogs, cyclists, joggers and pushchairs about.  Near one of the exits we came across this swathe of crocuses.  I had to go across country to take this!

Close to the Common I saw this Monkey Puzzle Tree, I have never noticed it before, maybe because it's not the normal shape of one, it's lower branches have been lopped a bit!  It's a lot bigger and older than the one we saw at Nomansland a couple of weeks ago that's for sure.

A monkey puzzle tree.

Millyford Bridge

Thursday 20th February 2014

We went for a walk this afternoon at another favourite haunt, Millyford Bridge near Emery Down in the New Forest.  The river there, the Highland Water was as expected full to overflowing and at some stage recently had been a lot fuller looking at the debris left on the river banks.  

The Highland Water,

much fuller than usual.

Since my school days (a long time ago!) I have kept an eye on this ox bow lake.  Normally there is little if any water in it but today it was quite full - the photo doesn't do it justice as the far part of it can't be seen.

There are small streams flowing well everywhere.

Reflection.

Blue sky......

..... a nice bright day again.  No need for gloves by the end of the walk!

Water where it shouldn't be!

Driving back home along the M27, between junctions 2 & 3 eastbound, I tried to take a photo of the floods alongside the motorway on the Broadlands Estate.  The flood has gradually been getting bigger and deeper, in fact last weekend most of the fields were flooded with just the top of fence posts and trees and bushes outlining the field boundaries, an amazing amount of water. 

Janesmoor Pond & A Red Admiral

Saturday 15th February 2014

Following a very rough and stormy night we chose to go to an 'easy to get to' place in the New Forest, hoping that there would be no trouble with fallen trees.  Luckily apart from floods it was fine.  Last night at home the wind was very very strong and it was making an awful roaring noise - it sounded like we were at the beach on a rough day - and we don't live near a beach!  Still, we've been lucky compared to some places in the South of England, and it would have to be some flood to affect us as we live on a hill!  

We chose to park at Janesmoor Pond on Stoney Cross, where for once there were hardly any other people - maybe after last night they were loathe to venture out?  I was a bit concerned about the way the wind was whipping across through the trees, and I have never seen waves - tiny ones admittedly - on the pond before, not a good start.  

Janesmoor Pond - Stoney Cross - full of water funnily enough!

Tiny waves, but waves, I didn't manage to catch the moment they splashed up on the bank!

A red admiral butterfly.

In amongst the trees we spotted this lone red admiral butterfly, it seems a bit early for butterflies but looking back at my blog we saw one on the 19th February last year too.

We then walked back up through the Longbeech camp site on old service roads used in the war when there was an airfield on Stoney Cross.

Old service roads.

Back at the car park the sky looked a bit ominous and there were a few drops of rain but for once it came to nothing.   There aren't many photos today as all of the photos look the same, with mud, water and fallen trees in them - maybe it will dry up and the sun will come out soon!  I live in hope, I expect the animals do too as some of them looked quite wet and bedraggled today.

Longdown - A Squally Hail Shower & Fallen Trees

Thursday 13th February 2014

We had a walk today from Longdown, where we met an English Bull Terrier by the name of Pippa - the name didn't somehow match the look of the dog - think Bullseye in Oliver!  Pippa looked quite overweight but came wandering over to see us, she looked like the sort of dog you could have a chat with and I don't often think that.

We went to look for a geocache and found it with ease then suddenly a cold wind whipped up and we had a heavy shower of hail, let's say the fir trees did little to shelter us.  Talking of wind and trees, there were an alarming amount of fallen fir trees all over the enclosure, not just one here and there, but groups of trees, large ones, here are some ......

........such a shame.

Water everywhere.

Just as soon as the hail started it stopped, the wind calmed down and blue sky appeared.

This lovely pony stood in the sunshine drying off for ages, cars arriving and leaving had to squeeze round behind him/her, he/she wasn't moving for anyone - a hazard of the New Forest.