I wasn’t sure how much “wild” I’d find on Tuesday’s coach trip with the National Trust Hampstead Centre. I noticed Starlings at the service station and, though I was reading London Natural History Society and Wildlife Trusts magazines most of the journey, I did at one point look up to see a very large bird very high in the sky. I was wishing my raptor ID skills were better when we got close enough to see it had the forked tail of a Red Kite. Soon afterwards I had a close if fleeting view of a Kestrel on a wire.
We reached Kelmarsh Hall about 11.45 am. We were given a map of the gardens and a ticket for our tour of the house (2 or 2.30) and told to be back on the bus 4.45pm. I’d decided not to pre-pay for coffee on arrival as I suspected we might get there nearer lunchtime. I found a bench with the view above and enjoyed the sunshine as I had a look at the map and leaflets.
Shortly after 12 I went to the tea room for lunch sitting at a table with 3 others from our group. I then had an hour before my guided tour and set off to see the gardens. I soon found the wilder woodland paths.
There were Canada Geese on the lake and I later saw Swans and Mallards. There was a sign to “wood carvings” but I only found one totem pole carving and the tree house in the middle photo. The wild flowers of the right hand photo were directly across the path from the planted border of the top left photo below.
We had a very interesting 1 hour tour of the house and then it was back to the tea room for coffee and cake! After which I had time to go off on another 45 min walk. I’d not actually seen much of the gardens on my first walk round. This time I went into the walled garden.
Before the house tour I’d been wary of taking the woodland walk as I didn’t know how long it would take. But I now realised I’d done most of it in reverse. So now, I followed the sign and explored the paths I’d missed before. At the far end, beyond the walled garden, I spotted the herd of British White Cattle and took a photo of the Church. Thought of how last year I was “collecting” Churches for my 20 Big C Challenges fundraising for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Bought a couple of cards and managed not to succumb to the temptation of the icecreams some of the group were enjoying in the sunshine. The coach set off promptly 4.45pm and soon the skies darkened and we drove through a terrific thunderstorm and torrential rain. It was dry again by the time we reached London. We’d been very lucky with the weather!
My bird list for the day: Red Kite, Kestrel, Starling, Canada Geese, Swans, Mallards, Wood Pigeons, Dunnock, heard Chaffinch, heard Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Great Tit, heard Song Thrush, heard Wren, heard Greenfinch, Blackbird and LOTS of noisy Jackdaws.
And mustn’t forget to note that I saw an Orange-tip Butterfly.