For the second year running I took part in the RSPB Big Garden Watch, which means counting the birds visiting your garden during one hour during the weekend just gone.
Somehow, I always choose the wrong hour! Normally, we have lots of birds in the garden. I bought them a super-duper bird feeding station earlier this month. I thought this one might deter the pigeons and squirrels. Hah! they soon sussed it out. One pigeon alights on the feeder, and as long as it keeps flapping, it can get the seed. His mates gather round the bottom to catch any seed that falls. They do the same when the starlings raid the suet feeder. The squirrel also does some acrobatics to get at the suet block. However, on Saturday, when I did my one hour count, the garden was mostly devoid of birds!
In my hour I counted four pigeons, one wood pigeon, two robins and two great tits. Other wildlife included the squirrel and a domestic cat. However, I did observe the great tits checking out the bird box in the garden next door. They went in to give it the once over. I wonder if they will be moving in soon.
A few days before the count I observed a parakeet on our bird feeder. That was a first. They do sometimes spend time in a nearby tree, but this gave me a chance to photograph it up close. All the photos were taken through the window, which isn’t ideal, but the best I could do. Next year I will choose a different time and see if I get a better bird count.
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Yesterday was a blue sky day, cold but beautiful. I don’t normally go walking or visiting places at the weekend because (a) it tends to be busier (I don’t like crowds) and (b) the trains and tubes are often disrupted due to engineering works on the lines. Even buses are less frequent. Sunday was really my last oportunity for a walk last week, and the day was too nice to ignore. So I set off by bus to Richmond Park, entering through the Kingston Gate. My aim was to walk to Ham or Richmond gate on the opposite side of the park than I have been walking before.
It was, as I knew it would be, busy. People out walking with dogs and family, joggers and cyclists. I couldn’t blame them. It was an ideal day. I arrived at the Ham Gate faster than I tthought I would, so I took a detour outside of the park and walked part of Ham Common. The common was quite muddy and I had walk round the edges of the worst parts. Once I accidentally set foot in a very muddy patch and heard the squealch. As I pulled my shoe away I felt the pull of mud dragging my shoe back in! It was also colder here as it was more shaded and wet. I eventually came out on the road that one way leads back to Richmond Park, and in the other direction to the main road where I could pick up the bus. I headed back towards the park on the other side of the road where the rest of the common lies.
There is a toilet block inside Ham Gate, but it was shut. I thought I must be close to Pembroke Lodge where there is a cafe and toilets. I used Google Maps to locate Pembroke Lodge and headed up the hill towards it. The car park was packed, and the queue for the refreshment hut was long. Luckily there wasn’t a queue for the loos. Afterwards, I decided rather than wait in the long queue for a cuppa, I would go into the Pembroke Lodge cafe. What a great decision that was. No queque here and I was able to find a table outside in the sunshine and drink my tea and eat a declicious slice of vegan carrot cake.
Suitably refreshed, I set off back down the hill to pick up the path again. It wasn’t too long before I reached the Petersham Gate, but I turned right and back up the hill to eventually come to the Richmond Gate. From here there are the spectacular views from Richmond Hill. Drawn by the sight of the river, I took the steps down to the Thames Path. I had a short stop in a riverside garden before walking the short distance to Richmond Bridge. It was time to leave, so a quick double back to some steps up to road where I caught a bus. The walk was approximately seven miles.
My London+ 