A Quick(ish) Breath Of Fresh Air

A Loop from Westgate Street Hilborough Back To Hilborough – Sunday 17^th May 2015 

1 Of 33 Hares Seen

This was meant to be a quick trip to get some fresh air which lasted about 4 hours. We left home at 4.30pm, it was bright with a moderate breeze and the temperature was 18˚C. 

Wild Flower Meadows

Mystical Patterns In The Tree Trunks & Branches

Sadly, just before we got to Westgate Street in Hilborough we saw a dead Badger on the A1065. It was possibly roadkill but when I was a Police Officer many years ago; one of the ways Badger baiters disposed of the bodies was to dump them in the road where they would be assumed to be roadkill. Whatever the cause it is always sad to see a dead creature, especially one such as magnificent as the Badger. On our nature watching expeditions in this area we have yet to come across a Badger although we have seen them in the wild in several places in the UK. 

When we do this route we often see Hares and our record is 60 but it is getting harder to spot them as the crops grow but even so we still managed to see 33 which isn’t bad. I think sometimes we take Hare for granted here, but I know with some of the people I have contact with in the UK that some areas are completely devoid of them. I never lose the fascination of seeing them even if it is just the black tips of their ears as they make their way through the growing crops. 

We were hoping to finish our little loop with another sighting of the Stone Curlews but no such luck today, but it was more than made up for by seeing 3 Roe Deer Stags in 2 groups; there is a video of the encounters on our YouTube Channel. 

We hadn’t meant to have been out for so long today but as usual we just get completely absorbed by the things we see and just get carried away with it all. I think we got home just after 8pm by which time it had become quite overcast. 

We are so very fortunate to live in such a beautiful area. The Brecks is just an amazing place to see such a variety of wildlife and although we have a few other favourite places in the UK it is just so good to have our home here, we are blessed indeed. 

What we saw: 

5 Buzzards 

Blue Tit** 

Pied Wagtail 

Blackbird 

Chiffchaff (heard) 

Robin 

Yellowhammer 

Goldfinch 

Wren 

12 Greylag Geese

3 Stock Doves 

Oystercatcher 

Skylark 

Lapwing** 

Red Legged Partridges* 

Pheasant* 

Corvids* (Rooks, Crow & Jackdaws) 

12 Shelduck 

Mallard** 

33 Hares 

Rat 

Muntjac Deer 

3 Roe Deer Stags (In 2 different locations) 

3 Grey Squirrels

* = Too many to count 

** = Several 

Hungry Grey Squirrel

Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.