I had another of my walks recently. The place which I had frequented earlier on in the year Ash Ranges called to me again! On arriving I was not surprised to see that the red flag was flying so I decided to follow a route that I had not tried before – well the first part at least.
Walking down the lane feels like going down memory lane – when I say that I mean something more primeval than the programme I grew up with on Radio 4! As one goes down the slope it’s as if you’re heading for the primal swamp. That aside I noticed a flurry of bird activity which made me stop in my tracks and start to follow the birds as they moved around me.
Just before this I need to mention that there were 13 donkeys in the field adjacent to where I stood all facing a jumble of directions. I wonder if they were all related, as they, on first look were identical with their white nose blazes. They seemed to be unconcerned by my approach.
Back to the birds. I am always drawn to flocks of long tailed tits – that’s what these birds were mainly. Seeing them like this is very charming. I read somewhere recently they aren’t related to tits at all and that they are more related to babblers which can be seen in Asia and Africa. In amongst them was a goldcrest which drew progressively nearer to me.
On a branch about a third of the way up the beech which I faced was a squirrel sitting with its tail over its head unperturbed by my presence – or so it seemed . A movement higher in the tree caught my attention. Another squirrel was scurrying across a branch. Both of them were smaller than I recall of more recent sightings. The lower one when I looked back had started to approach me moving down the main trunk and along a nearer branch flicking its tail. It came nearer and nearer continually flicking its tail, I held my ground. I was sure it was going to come up to my feet! Something scared it off unfortunately but it was a real moment of awe.
When I turned to where the donkeys had been – something had caused me to turn to look at them. There they were all standing in a line looking at me! It was so comical! Not until later did I think I should have taken a picture. I was so caught up in the moment! It was simply delightful!