Sunday Morning Hike

What better way is there to make the most of the last nice days of summer than to go for a hike? This morning we set off across the fields which have all been harvested or cut for straw and look ready for autumn. I have read about a "bumper" early crop of wild berries in the UK caused by the warm summer (http://ind.pn/1lEE0ZD) and this certainly seemed to be true of the blackberries, sloe berries and elderberries which had already started emerging in patches all along our route, many of which were already ripe.This is good news for the farmland bird species in the area.

We also passed this pond which got me wondering about great crested newts in the area. I'm not sure how many other bodies of water there are in the immediate area (certainly none big enough to appear on google maps), however I have seen from past surveys that even small bodies of water can support surprisingly large numbers of newts depending on other factors in the habitat.

After admiring the view across the fields and spotting a kestrel flying overhead, we treating ourselves to breakfast at a nearby cafe...its always nice to have something to look forward to at the end of a long walk!