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Buzzards and Buttercups
Emerging into The Street at Newnham we crossed over to Newnham churchyard and continued up Seed Road before crossing country again to wander through woodland back to Doddington Park. On our way back we stopped several times simply to listen to the birdsong as the birds called to each other and flew from tree to tree searching for food for their hungry offspring. As we reached the final stile, before returning through Doddington Park once more, we were stopped by the clear, ringing whistle of a nuthatch which had perched on a bough just above our heads and was clearly visible to all. As we watched this colourful, perky little bird a pair of buzzards soared above our heads making an appropriately dramatic finale to a Bank Holiday Saturday morning. Our particular thanks to Richard Moyse for making this walk along local footpaths in an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, such an enjoyable and informative experience. Norma Baxter |
A fine, sunny, late- April Saturday morning found a group of Lynsted with Kingsdown Society members (plus two young children and two well-behaved dogs) in Doddington Church car-park, eagerly waiting to set out on a Spring Walk. While our walking boots were still clean we had a guided tour around Doddington Church and environs where, our guide, Richard Moyse, is responsible for managing the churchyard for wildlife. We then set out across Doddington Parkland and headed for Sharsted Court. As we walked we stopped frequently so that Richard could explain about the various woodland plants and birds that we spied. After this cold winter it was reassuring to see that signs of spring were to be seen all around us. As well as the usual wood anemones, primroses, wood violets and bluebells we found examples of the less common cuckoo flower, Townhall clock, mistletoe, Goldilocks buttercup and also, growing on some tree roots, the parasitic toothwort. As we left Sharsted we were also lucky enough to hear and see a lesser-spotted woodpecker.