Persuading myself to go out walking when I have a
spare few hours has been problematical of late but I am trying very hard not to
slip back into the lethargic slothishness of my pre-lockdown life and this
morning I managed to haul myself up the road for my first walk around Ranscombe
since the high summer.
It was cool and crisp with blue sky and almost no wind but I
knew that this was not meant to last beyond lunchtime. Despite the heavy rains
the paths were largely free of mud and I had a pleasant three mile loop down to
the fields and then back up past Birch Wood to Sam’s Clary bench where I sat
with a coffee and enjoyed the hazy golden view across the fields and down the
valley towards Maidstone.
Most trees are
yet to turn and although autumnal, there was a feeling that there was still
plenty of vim and vigour left in the mostly green leaves although I suppose
that the first proper frost will persuade them to start drawing in their
reserves for the winter ahead. There
were still flowers to be found with Hedge Woundwort, Red Clover, Bristly Oxtongue,
Dandelion and Wild Carrot seen. There
were plenty of flies lazily bumbling between sunny spots and I am sure that
most I saw were Phaonia and worn Pollenia and a single Bee that I think is Lasioglossum
calceatum.
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| Phaonia |
 |
| Pollenia |
 |
| Lasioglossum calceatum |
There was very little in the way of bird life with just a
few small roving Tit and Goldcrest flocks and a single Nuthatch and the odd squawking of a
Jay. Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were in
the stubble field above the farm but there were no finch flocks. It seems to be another fair year for the Sweet Chestnuts and
I collected a few in my forage pouch which was quite easy to do as several of
the trees were actually throwing them at me!
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| Old Man's Beard |
 |
| Dewy Hedge Woundwort |
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| Black Bryony berries |
 |
| The only Fungi I found |
 |
| Yew |
As you would expect I found a few leaf mines which Antony
helped me with this afternoon and as usual things are always more complicated than
they appear but at least I gave it a go.
 |
| Coptotriche marginea on Bramble |
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| Phyllonorycter coryli and Phyllonorycter nicellii on Hazel |
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| Phyllonorycter coryli on Hazel |
 |
| Stigmella aurella on Bramble |
 |
| Stigmella clerkella on Birch |
 |
| Stigmella microtheriella or floslactella on Hazel |
 |
| Stigmella microtheriella or floslactella on Hornbeam |
 |
| Stigmella samiatella on Sweet Chestnut |
 |
| Stigmella samiatella on Sweet Chestnut |
 |
| Tischeria ekebladella on Sweet Chestnut |
I looped back up by the top of Kitchen Field and then cut
through the woods back up to the Darnley Mausoleum before the pleasant walk
back down the main path towards home.
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