Easter walk

Waking early, the sun already shining, I decided it was a good day to have a slightly longer walk than usual as, being Easter Sunday, the shops were closed as were the churches, so few people would have any reason to take to the roads and everywhere would be even quieter than it had been in the last few weeks with Lockdown.

I set off at 8am and only met a couple of dog walkers in the village before I headed uphill along a lane I rarely walked up in normal times, but today I was heading for a spot recommended by a keen local birder for a particular bird.

The fields had a few rabbits happily sunning themselves and lots of birds such as Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Robins, Blue and Great tits were singing as I went. Their songs so much easier to hear with the lack of the usual traffic noise in the background.

The first bird that I managed to photograph was a beautiful male Blackcap, singing his heart out.

He was quite shy and kept hopping out of view in the bushes alongside the lane, but patience paid off in the end. This, though a very nice sighting, was not my target bird and so I continued along the lane as I'd been advised to do.

I kept stopping every few yards to listen for a recognisable call,but whilst I was very pleased to hear and see skylarks above my head for the first time this spring, I had still not found the one I was hoping for.

Then suddenly there it was, the unmistakable phrase "little bit of cheese no bread", the song of the Yellowhammer! I haven't heard one within walking distance of home for a number of years and never at this particular spot. My birding friend had been absolutely right.
I walked along the lane a little further until I could actually see the bird and indeed I saw at least three whilst I hung about for some twenty minutes.

By now it was 9.30am and I still had over two miles to walk home so I set off at a faster pace than I had arrived. I saved time by walking back partly along a main road, which was deserted, unheard of normally and then back downhill into the village, stopping only to see if Mr Fox was about in his usual spot, and yes he was out hunting in the bright sunlight. He froze when he spotted me but didn't run off, perhaps realising I meant him no harm and anyway was too far away to catch him even I had wanted to.

Returning home after my 5 mile walk feeling very happy, it had certainly been worth the effort.