Go for nature walks at weekends

Went over to Whisby for the day. Saw plenty of evidence of spring – blossom, catkins, great created grebes displaying, spring flowers… and much more.

Heard and then saw a bullfinch. Strange how this is quite exciting these days – in my childhood they were a real pest in our orchard.

Indeed, the littlest one was utterly fascinated by the large amount of rabbit poo. He has requested that I post this picture of a Parrot Waxcap (Hygrocybe psittacina var. perplexa) struggling to grow up underneath a lagomorph dottle.

Nature is harsh sometimes…

Revisited Kirkby Moor today. All a bit soggy and gloomy, but a good outing despite that. Didn’t see many birds, but plenty of rabbits (and their droppings, which fascinated friend’s 4 yr old!). Took loads of photos – trying out my new macro facilities (as seen in the lichens here!).

It’s not the weekend, but is half term so I took the opportunity to take the children, my mum and aunt to Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve.

Rather a bleak cloudy day – nothing new there; Skegness is usually rather bracing. Unfortunately the tide was out so the birds were a bit distant for accurate identification, even with the help of binoculars. Curlews and oystercatchers were distinctive enough, though. I even managed to take a non-blurred pic of a gull!

I am pleased to think that I caused amusement by wrongly identifying an Oyster Catcher as a Cerlew… I’m sure that at least three members of the party pee’d themselves laughing. Well, I know I’m a complete dunce when it comes to birds, but I am learning.

I did have an excellent time grovelling about for fungi and we found some beauties. I particularly like fungi because they don’t run away when you stalk them…

Went to this reserve on the western side of Lincoln today for a warden led walk. Great location – plenty of variety of habitats. Saw several different waterbirds – including cormorants, oystercatchers, goldeneyes, tufted ducks, pochard, shoveler… and more. Not many fungi, but did find a few (see pic).

This is proof that it is worth going out even if the weather does not look promising. Nutmeg’s idea was a good one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the day out.

Highlights for me were spotting so many different types of duck, Little Grebes, and seeing a Treecreeper shuffling up tree trunks looking for food.

We took our wellies, and that was a good thing as the paths in places were flooded.

I discovered that I can’t take photographs through my binoculars, and that I can rustle together a mean picnic at short notice :-)

The weather this morning was wet and miserable so decided to go somewhere with shelter – and headed to Kirkby Gravel Pit, a Lincs Wildlife Trust reserve. On arrival the skies cleared, giving us a bright sunny afternoon.

Sat in the hide, looked at water birds and ate a rather good picnic.

Moved on to Kirkby Moor, walked for a while and tried out the hide there too (see pic).

This afternoon we headed into the Lincolnshire Wolds for a bit of geology. First stop was Red Hill, near Goulceby – famous for an exposure of red chalk.

Also went to an outcrop of green sandstone near Somersby.

iv been going on walks with my freinds up in the mountains we walk about 3 to four miles each weekend we also go new places every weekend last time we went we seen3 white tail deers and couger or mountain lion we was not to close to it it was far of but we seen it