A Frosty Walk Over to Bradley Woods.

 Needing a longer walk, we decided to make a flask, pack some Christmas cake and cheese and head across to Bradley Woods through Scartho Top and return via Springfield.  We are lucky in lockdown that we can get out into to the fields from our house to both the east and west.  The walk over to Bradley unfortunately involves walking a short way through a couple estates, although we are soon out on the fields.

Despite not having any snow, sadly, we have had some hard frosts and it was a pleasure to be walking with hard ground underfoot, rather than slithering around in ankle deep mud.  And good to be wearing boots rather than heavy wellies.

Walking clockwise around Dixons Wood we were pleased to catch a glimpse a roe deer, its white rump disappearing into the trees.

Crossing the road into Bradley Woods, I was pleased to see that the feeding station is still being used with large numbers of tits, robins, chaffinches, blackbirds, dunnock and a nuthatch coming down.  In the past I have spent a lot of very happy hours photographing here using the car as a hide.  Sadly it is now too busy.  Dog walkers used to drive and park by the swings and picnic area, leaving the bird feeding area to walkers and bird watchers.  Unfortunately the council, in their wisdom, elected to lock the gate into the wood so now everyone has to park by the feeding area which has become a quagmire in wet weather with overflowing bins which never seem to be emptied.  Although a sorry situation, it was good to see the feeding station being used.

We walked on into the centre of the wood where we enjoyed our spiced hot chocolate and Christmas cake.  As we were on the verge of leaving we were delighted to see good friends Steve and Dianne out for their daily exercise.  While we were catching up I noticed a bird fly into a nearby tree.  Getting the binoculars onto it I was surprised to see a buzzard sitting up against the trunk about 15 feet up.  It eventually flew into another tree perfectly positioned for photography.  Typically the birding lens was at home!!!

Taking our leave of Steve and Dianne we completed a circuit of the wood before continuing across the fields to Springfield and home for a cup of tea and a nap.

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