Ramblings

Wednesday 1^st March – Bodenham Lake – Blue sky is beginning to appear after an overcast start to the day. It is fairly mild. Blackthorn is in blossom along the main road. The usual chorus of House Sparrows, Blue Tits, Blackbirds and Robins surrounds the car park. Pussy Willow is emerging. The white rumps of a pair of Bullfinches flash down the track and disappear. The arrow-shaped leaves of Wild Arum are prolific under the scrub. The blue sky had gone and the clouds thicken. A Great Spotted Woodpecker calls from the trees. Golden catkins hang from Hazels.

The water level has fallen in the lake and more of the islands are exposed. A pair of Oystercatchers are on them and a pair of Goosander behind them. It starts to rain. Into the meadow. A Dunnock sings from the hedgerow. A Chaffinch seeks food on the ground.

Into the hide. A Little Egret is on the scrape. A couple of Tufted Duck are out on the water. A Great Crested Grebe is at the western end. More Tufted Duck are by the remains of the spit where four Cormorants stand. The Great White Egret flies in and lands beyond the reed bed. The Little Egret joins it. A Wren flies out of the brambles onto a sapling branch and bursts into song. The noise from Canada Geese steadily increases in volume. Two more Little Egrets land on the island in front of the south hide. Half a dozen Mandarin Duck fly in. A pair of Little Grebe, once known as Didappers, appear. More Cormorants have arrived on the spit, including one with a white head and white patch on its thigh indicating it is a breeding bird. A pair of Great Crested Grebe are nearby.

Back to the orchards. A few winter thrushes are still present in both orchards. A Green Woodpecker yaffles.

Friday 3^rd March – Leominster – The weather has suddenly turned cooler as air flows down from the Arctic. The wind makes it bitter. Onto the railway bridge. A two car, South Wales bound train rumbles into the station. Blackbirds argue in an Ivy clad tree. A pair of Goldcrests search a bush. The water level in the River Lugg continues to fall. A Mute Swan is downstream of Butts Bridge. Great Tits call. Under Mosaic Bridge. A Wren darts through the dead stems of Rosebay Willowherb. Fresh young Stinging Nettles are emerging.

Across the river, a Song Thrush stands silently in a Hawthorn. A pair of Carrion Crows fly over, beaks full of material for nesting. Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinches and Redwings are moving from tree to tree. The Mute Swan had passed me and is now headed downstream under Eaton Bridge. Up onto the bridge. The river flows sluggishly. Along the A44 and up onto the old railway bridge.

A pair of Magpies fly to and fro. Over the railway. The occasional gull glides over. Back into town.

Sunday 5^th March – Leominster – A grey morning but not as cold as threatened in the weather forecast. The street is quiet, just the occasional chack from a passingJackdaw. Magpies chatter by the railway. Wood Pigeons coo loudly. The water level remains fairly low. A pair of Mallard are upstream under the bank. The resident Dipper flies into a rock opposite the ducks then down to the water level pole.

Into Pinsley Mill. A Dunnock sings, Chaffinches and Blue Tits are in the trees beyond the railway tracks. At the foot of the churchyard, the snowdrops are beginning to fade but are being replaced by daffodils. The Kenwater is shallow and clear. Into the churchyard. Great Tits drop down from the trees to seek food on the ground. A Greenfinch calls and a Robin sings. Yellow lights for in the Norman nave of the church. A Great Spotted Woodpecker chips. The bell-ringers start their Sunday routine.

Wednesday 8^th March – Home – The normal Wednesday visit to Bodenham lake is put on hold as snow starts to fall. It is not heavy but it is always wiser not to make unnecessary trips in such conditions. Yesterday, the removal of the brambles in the south-eastern corner of the garden was completed. Four more sacks were filled. Hopefully, the stubs remaining will produce enough shoots to give us a decent crop again this year. Now the other side of garden needs sorting – brambles removing and the Stinging Nettle bed constrained. Over a dozen Jackdaws fly off from the Ash tree as I pass to clean out the chicken house.

Thursday 9^th March – Home – At around 3am the snow is thawing rapidly but by dawn it is snowing heavily again and beginning to lay. After a brief pause, it falls again. The fruit cage and chicken run roof nets are bowed deeply by a thick accumulation of snow. The frame of the chicken run is distorted by the weight of snow making the door almost impossible to open and even more difficult to lock shut again. Various bird footprints show where Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws have walked up and down the paths. The snow peters out by mid morning and a thaw sets in.

Sunday 12^th March – Leominster – The snow has gone and the morning is less cold than of late. The sky is grey and a Lesser Black-backed Gull drifts slowly southwards. House Sparrows chirp and Jackdaws chack. A Dunnock sings in one of the dark, bare flowering cherry trees. A Starling burbles and squeaks from a television aerial. Down the ginnell by the White Lion. Blackbirds scurry away into the hedgerow. A Great Tit calls his two note song nearby. The water level in the River Lugg has risen several feet and the water is a muddy red-brown. The resident Dipper flies off upstream. A drake Mallard is on the bank upstream.

Through Pinsley Mill. There are Blackbirds and a Song Thrush across the tracks but they are, for some reason, silent. Blackthorn blossom is opening on a small sapling growing beside one of the cider apple trees. Two Carrion Crows fly into the apple trees, both with small patches of white in their wing feathers. The snowdrops have almost finished flowering now. By the Peace Garden, a Treecreeper mouses upsidedown along a fallen branch. It starts to sing its repetitive song. The water level in the River Kenwater has also risen and the flow is rapid. Several Long-tailed Tits fly through the trees. A Robin is swaying to and fro in an odd manner.

The 9 o’clock bells ring out from the Minster. Into the churchyard where Blackbirds run and a Grey Squirrel scurries across the grass. Into Church Street where the large flock of Feral Pigeons are flying around.

Home – Another session removing brambles. Almost all of them are temporarily gone but inevitably they will be back. A Red Kite circles above.

Monday 13^th March – Home – 5 o’clock and the sky is just beginning to lighten. A gale blows, roaring through the trees. It is raining, yet through all this, a Song Thrush is singing loudly. The song continues for over an hour before the songster falls silent.

A little later, the rain continues to fall steadily and the wind has abated only a fraction. The chicken run is a quagmire. The atmospheric pressure has fallen overnight.

Wednesday 15^th March – Bodenham Lake – A sharp overnight frost is thawing rapidly. Fields south of the town, adjacent to the River Arrow are flooded once more. The River Lugg at Bodenham is high and muddy.

House Sparrows chatter around the barn by the car park. Robins sing. A Pheasant croaks and a Green Woodpecker yaffles. Goat Willow is spotted grey with catkin buds. A large ground-hugging whorl of a Spear Thistle is white with frost. Dunnocks hop along the track seeking food. A Great Tit calls and the sound of yelping Canada Geese come from the lake. A drake Goosander, Canada Geese and an Oystercatcher are on the islands. Tufted Duck dive. A Kingfisher flashes past.

Into the meadow. A Mallard flies into Westfield Wood. Blue Tits move through the trees. A Goat Willow is yellow with pollen laden catkins. Into the hide. The Great White Egret is on the southern bank. Several Goosander swim away from the area in front of the southern hide. The scrape is under water again. A couple of Great Crested Grebes and a Grey Heron are at the western end. Coot, Moorhens and another Great Crested Grebe are in front of the hide. A Cormorant lumbers across the water to land nearby. Tufted Duck, Mallard and a single Mute Swan are out on the water. The Great Crested Grebe in front of the hide has caught a small fish. It bangs it on the water a couple of times, then swallows it. A Little Egret is hunched down at the base of the bank to one side of the hide.

Back to the meadow. A pale sun is in the sky, doing little to counter the damp cold. Blackthorn is on the verge of flowering. The calls of Redwings, Fieldfares and Mistle Thrushes comes from the cider orchard. Bullfinches preen in the hedgerow. A song that seems vaguely warbler-like comes from the hedgerow. It takes some minutes to find the singer – a Redwing, not a song I recall hearing before. A pair of military Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft fly over, low and noisy.

Friday 17^th March – Leominster – Down to the railway bridge. Dunnock and Blackbirds are in song. Jackdaws chack. It is a grey, damp morning. A south bound train pulls into the station. The DMU is ancient, hardly the modern fleet promised. By the river, fresh leaves are on the Old Man’s Beard and Dog Roses. The water level in the River Lugg continues to be high, although the water has lost its red, muddy colour. Leaf buds have appeared on the great Black Poplars. A Cormorant flies south in a straight line ignoring the route of the river. A tiny spider wanders along the tubular steel railing of Butts Bridge. A small flock of Siskin fly through the trees, pausing briefly to search for insects. Three Grey Wagtails dart to and fro before resting on a muddy patch of bank. A Dipper flies downstream, then does a U-turn and heads back again. A V formation of half a dozen gulls flies over high in the sky.

Into Pinsley Mill. Goldfinches, Dunnocks and Wrens sing. A Common Buzzard preens in one of the Black Poplars by the river. Into the orchard. The Blackthorn sapling is now in flower. Large amounts of the Hazel and Blackthorn had been removed around the former pond. A pair of Nuthatches are vigorously searching a tree in the Peace Garden. Long-tailed Tits dangle from twigs. Into the churchyard. A good number of Blackbirds are searching the leaf litter.

Home – Over recent months there has been an outbreak of Avian Flu in an unnamed site near home. I have received a request to register my hens with which I complied. Then another request asked me to fill out a form on-line which seemed rather more relevant to a commercial chicken keeper. Then someone turned up on the doorstep to ask the same questions again. Today a Spanish young woman, assumedly a vet as it seems there are a large number of Spanish vets are working in the country because we fail to train enough, came to the house to inspect the hens. She went into the garage (where the coach was kept in Victorian and Edwardian days) and changed into a “bunny” suit, wellington boots, sprayed with disinfectant and a facemask and accompanied me into the garden to see the hens. She then proceeded to ask all the same questions yet again, although she had to removed her mask as I could not hear a word she said…

She seemed relatively satisfied, went back to garage, changed out of her protective gear and departed.

Monday 20^th March – Leominster – It is the Spring Equinox. The rough ground to the north of Butts Bridge, beside the railway, has numerous Wild Arums growing and little else. Most of them are plain green but a few have brown spots. Wrens and Robins sing, Blue Tits chatter and Jackdaws chack. The sun is struggling to break through the grey clouds. Song Thrushes hop through the undergrowth.

At the foot of the churchyard Ransoms, Wild Garlic, leaves have unfurled and I pick a few for the hens. Groundwork staff have been pruning and clearing self-sown trees in the churchyard, some which had grown up around gravestones. Dunnocks and Great Tits are in song. On The Grange, Jackdaws are collecting twigs and dried grass.

Home – Drizzle falls intermittently. Red Baron onion sets are planted. The tomato and chilli plants from the bathroom are pricked out into individual pots and returned to the warmth of the bathroom. Lettuces are growing well in a trough in the greenhouse. They were planted some months ago and slowly developed over the winter but are now growing much faster. The broad beans are doing well and can probably be planted out at the weekend. Some broccoli seeds have germinated in the bathroom and they are moved to the greenhouse. Another potato trench is dug.

Tuesday 21^st March – Home – An area of a vegetable bed is cleared for two rows of Douce Provence peas. A short row of radishes are also sown. Another potato trench is dug. Two bags of rotted farmyard manure is spread over the bed in the greenhouse. There is a problem in various areas of the garden where Stinging Nettles and Brambles are emerging. I make a start on removing them. We keep a patch of nettles for wild life but we certainly do not want them all over the garden!

Wednesday 22^nd March – Bodenham Lake – The sun shines brightly in a clear blue sky. White Violets peep out of fresh green grass. A Carrion Crow site atop one of the highest trees and crows. A Great Spotted Woodpecker drums in the woods. A Wren, Robin and Great Tit are in song. A Pheasant croaks. Then a Chiffchaff, first of the year, starts calling rather tentatively. The Oystercatchers are on one of the boating bay islands along with Canada Geese, a pair of Teal and Mallard. There is another Chiffchaff by the boatyard. A Dunnock sings. Four redhead Goosander swim out of the small north eastern bay, passing a Great Crested Grebe.

Into the meadow. More Chiffchaffs, one in the hedgerow and another in the lakeside trees. Three Common Buzzards soar high above Westfield Wood, another two, mewing loudly, rise to join them. The meadow is saturated. Into the hide. Another eight Goosander are on the water. A few Tufted Duck, Mallard, Great Crested Grebes and Canada Geese are scattered around. The Great White Egret is on the southern bank. Canada Geese are noisy on the large island. Three Cormorants are on the spit, which is underwater, one drying its wings. Great Crested Grebes are now in their breeding uniforms. A single Mute Swan appears. The sky starts to cloud over. Four Long-tailed Tits fly past. A pair of Great Crested Grebes start displaying, facing each other and waggling their heads side to side. Weeping Willows beyond the western end of the lake are glowing green-yellow.

Back to the meadow. Hawthorn leaves have emerged, a bright, fresh green. A Green Woodpecker flies out of the hedgerow and down to the lakeside trees. A small flight of gnats bob in the air near the gate to the orchards. Buds have appeared on the two pear trees in the cover orchard but the apple trees remain dormant. The winter thrushes have nearly all departed, but a Fieldfare hangs on.

Sunday 26^th March – Leominster – It is a dull day with drizzle, not helped that the clocks have gone forward making the morning darker. The miserable weather has not silence Jackdaws who chatter on the rooftops. A pair fly up into a young Ash tree which still has dark brown bunches of keys attached. Blackbirds sing from television aerials. Chiffchaffs have arrived and sing from trees by the river. The water level in the River Lugg has risen again and it flows grey-green. By the railway fence, pale green Goat Willow catkins festoon a tree that is extensively covered in ivy.

Into Pinsley Mill. Across the tracks a pair of Magpies jump around the tree and a Wren bursts into song. On the edge of the churchyard is a large old Beech tree beneath it there are hundreds of seedlings growing but it is probable that none of these will grow to any sort of maturity. I gather a few Wild Garlic leaves for the hens. The patch is on on the line of the old Pinsley Brook. A row of posts marks the edge of the churchyard. There is is a small bank here which is riddled with rabbit burrows. On along the edge of the base of the churchyard. The ground is very uneven where rabbits over the years have excavated scrapings leaving shallow holes and small mounds. On the other side of the green, Blackthorn saplings are covered in white blossom. The nasal call of a Greenfinch comes from the churchyard. The River Kenwater flows rapidly.

Into the churchyard the Minster bells ring out the hour which has already been adjusted for British summer time.

Home – The rain ceases but it is still grey. The last three potato trenches are dug, chicken manure pellets scattered on the soil and the chitted potatoes – Pentland Javelin and Red Duke of York are planted, four rows of five potatoes each. Cabbage seeds – Webbs Kinver Globe – have germinated well in the bathroom and are moved to the greenhouse. The chard, planted at the same time, has not been so successful and another sowing will be needed. Yesterday, the Stinging Nettles by the Herefordshire Russet apple were dug out as well as I could. The roots are horrendous, spreading everywhere and going deep. Hopefully, keeping on top of any regrowth will slowly defeat them. A Chiffchaff calls from several gardens away.

Wednesday 29^th March – Bodenham Lake – A grey dank morning with drizzle in the air. It does not stop the Robins and Chiffchaffs from singing in the trees. More and more trees are putting forth bright green leaves and pussy willow is turning bright yellow with pollen. A Blackcap is singing in bushes beside the track. White Violets flower on the verge. Despite the cool, dank weather small insects are in the air. A redhead Goosander, a pair of Greylags, Mallard, a Wigeon and a good number of Tufted Duck are on the boating area. The pair of Oystercatchers are on one of the small islands.

The meadow is still very wet. Through the muddy plantation. A hen Pheasant crashes away though the undergrowth. Into the hide. A pair of Great Crested Grebes are on the water beyond the flooded scrape. Another pair are beside the small area of the spit that is exposed along with two Oystercatchers, a second pair. Canada Geese are scattered all over with the usual noisy arguments breaking out. It starts to rain. A Great Crested Grebe fishes in front of the hide, catching a decent sized fish which disappears down its throat rapidly. A Kingfisher flashes past in a blaze of turquoise. The grebe catches another, smaller, fish.

There is a lull in the rain, so I return through the orchards. Chaffinches are in the trees. Chiffchaffs call along with the dee-daa of Great Tits. A pair of Wood Pigeons rest on a fallen apple tree.

Friday 31^st March – Ledbury – Again the fields south of Leominster are flooded, although not to the extent previously this winter. A small herd of Mute Swans have regularly been on these fields. Several Canada Geese fly over the main road.

On to Ledbury. I park a short distance from the station. A row of espaliered trees stand outside Homend Lodge. Past the station and down towards the bypass. The pink flowers of Ground Ivy cover a large area. Also pink are the blossoms of ornamental cherries. White Dead Nettle, Dandelions, Groundsel and Daisies are also in flower. Under the Victorian railway bridge, built in red sandstone with black brick ribs under the arch. A veterinary practice building looks new. A purple West Midlands train passes slowly on the embankment. Ahead is Wallhills farm on the side of the hill that leads up to the wooded site of Wall Hills hill-fort. Both sides of the road now are occupied by modern housing estates. A fading milestone stands by the road – Ledbury 1 mile : Hereford 15½ miles.

The bypass junction is a large roundabout with conifers and other ornamental trees. On the northern side of the junction, an old wooden barn wall is collapsing. Across the junction and into Ledbury Riverside Park, Weir Garden section. The park was created in the 1980s when the bypass was built. Blackbird, Chiffchaff and Great Tit are all marking their territories in song. The ground is covered in Stinging Nettles and Cleavers. The River Leadon flows nearby. A spreading Hazel is densely covered with numerous catkins. A muddy path gets close to a small tributary to the river which is just a muddy trickle. Further on, the path gets to the Leadon which is flowing red-brown. The large trunk of a Willow is cracked, rotten and broken yet branches reach out in every direction. The river passes a small weir which is surrounded by tall Alders. Another Willow had extensive rot damage to the base of the trunk yet many large, healthy branches rise from it. Dried, desiccated stalks of Hogweed stand eight feet tall. Black Poplars have been planted along the route. A Mallard flies off from the path. A footbridge crosses the river carrying the Herefordshire Way. The path is very muddy with numerous wet worm casts. A drainage ditch from a large industrial estate joins the river. A good number of Flowering Blackcurrant trees are between the park and the bypass and, although not in flower, their scent is delightful. The path and the surrounding grassland is absolutely saturated making walking a slip-slide business. The river drops down three weirs before flowing under a bridge carrying the Little Marcle Road.

The path carries on, now Town Trail, through a plantation probably not more than twenty years old. Another, rather choked drainage ditch from the town enters the river. A short distance on another drainage ditch pours out gallons of water at a high rate. There are sewage works on the other side of the bypass. Sports pitches are on the far side of the river. Blue Tits search the trees and a Wren bursts into song. The path and park end at another junction, the Much Marcle Road and the road to Gloucester. A small path leads to the junction. A patch of Wood Anemones are in flower.

A large 20^th century pub stands on the junction in an area called The Old Wharf. House building is continuing in pretty much every direction. New Street heads into the town. Past the entrance to Ledbury Town FC ground. A new gas main is being laid along the road. Into the town cemetery. The land was purchased from J W Miles of Bristol. By May 1861 the cemetery was almost complete. Two chapels, one for the Established church and one for Dissenters, were designed by London architect Frederick Cockerill and built by McCann & Everal of Malvern. Both chapels were of local stone with Bath stone dressings and roofed with high quality tiles. The Sexton and his family occupied a small building at the back of the Established chapel. Jackdaws search the newly mown grass. 20^th century houses are slowly replaced by an area of earlier dwellings, then more 20^th century. Past the Catholic church of the Most Holy Trinity, (wonder what the less Holy Trinity is...) It starts to rain, more and more heavily as I reach the town centre. Route