An Excellent Raptor Walk

 We decided to take Jet for a walk out in the Wolds today to Rothwell for one of our favourite walks.  Although a non birding walk with no binoculars or big lens we saw 4 raptors so I was well pleased: Buzzard, Red Kite, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.  The ground and vegetation are tinder dry, although the hedgerows were laden with haws, crab apples and elderberries.  We collecte 4lbs of elderberries in a very short space of time, ready for making hedgerow jam with blackberries and windfall apples.

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Racing the Rain at Rothwell

 As we drove down the hill into the village, it seemed a long time since we had visited Rothwell.  As we parked up we were greeted by Brian and Heather and were soon striding out up the short hill to the church.  Down through the churchyard and along to the start of the valley that leads up to Rothwell top farm and then branching off onto the footpath that leads over rougher ground up a steepening valley to Hills Brough Farm.  A there and back today, this is one of my favourite Wolds valleys first discovered on running club handicap race many years ago.  After a couple of miles Brian and I took stock of the clouds building up and decided that a pub lunch in The Blacksmiths was preferable to a soaking.  As it was we raced the rain back into the village where we joined the ladies in the hostelry where they had bagged a table,  A pint and steak and ale pie and chips went down well.

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Walking from Rothwell

 We met up with friends Brian and Heather in the Lincolnshire Wolds village of Rothwell and parked up at the Blacksmith's Arms where, precovid we would have had our lunch.  Our walk took us up the short hill to the church and then into a valley that climbed up to Rothwell Top Farm and then Caistor High Street an old Roman Road along the top of the Wolds.  That wasn't our destination, however, as we turned off up a side valley that led to Hills Brough Farm.  This a very attractive dry valley which isn't under the plough and is a rare example of chalk downland.  As we made our way along the large hawthorn hedge we disturbed a large raptor.  Expecting it to be a buzzard we were delighted to identify it as a red kite.  Further along the hedge we came across a large flock of fieldfares, my first of the winter.  At the end of the walk, as we drove up the hill out of the village towards Cuxwold we had more excellent views of the kite.  Either the same on or, perhaps a different on as friends had watch two here a week or so ago.

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A Final Visit to Rothwell Before Lockdown.

Today was to be our final outing for a walk using the car and meeting friends, although maintaining our 2 metres separation.  We had decided to meet up at another favourite location: Rothwell in the Lincolnshire Wolds on Friday 20th March.  We just had a short rather sombre and reflective walk before wishing each other well and heading home.
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