Godstone to Holmethorpe Sand Pits, Surrey ... 10th June 2010

My wife, Sue, needed more work doing on her car - welding this time, so it was a drive back to Godstone again to drop the car off and then the long walk home. This time Sue decided to join me.

It drizzled most of the way and I was surprised at how few birds we saw during the two and half hours it took to reach home - a calling Coal Tit, three Skylarks, about 30 Herring Gulls heading north and a juvenile Jackdaw that let me approach to within a few feet. (I'm pretty sure it was a Jackdaw although I was surprised that it had a dark iris. I feel I should already know whether young birds have a pale or dark iris, but as Norman Wisdom said - "As you get older, three things go. The first is your memory.... and I can't remember what the other two things are!")



A few Common Spotted Orchids were by a bridge near the M23 motorway and, across Mercers Farm, a single Corn Marigold was a welcomed sight.





I've got to make the return walk to Godstone on Tuesday to collect the car so, hopefully, the weather will improve by then and there will be more to report. I doubt Sue will want to join me on this walk again though, as we were both complaining of aches and pains by the time we got home! What a pair of old farts we are!

Graham