Today I did a figure-of-eight walk, mainly around the National Trust's Ashridge Estate on the Bucks/Herts border. Each loop started and finished at the Bridgewater monument, and the whole walk was about 15 miles long. Lots of woodland walking, so Pippa should enjoy most of these photos!
There had been heavy rain overnight, so the paths were very muddy in places. The morning started grey and gloomy, with the sun occasionally attempting to break through, but it was only around lunchtime that it became bright and sunny (and very warm). Even then it was very hazy, so the views were very limited.
Muddy bridleway at the start of the walk
Another couple of weeks and these woods will be carpeted with Bluebells
This path at Berkhamsted Common goes through a number of fallen trees like this!
Approaching Ivinghoe Beacon
Path near the golf course at Aldbury
I saw lots of Garlic Mustard, Lesser Celandine and Wood Sorrel, and saw my first Cuckooflower of the year (heard my first cuckoo too!). I saw my first two Orange-tip butterflies of the year, several Peacocks and Brimstones, and a Comma. I saw a Red Kite
over Pitstone Hill, and a Buzzard at Berkhamsted Common. I got a very poor quality photo showing two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. There were Fallow Deer in two or three places - a large buck and another deer ran across the road in front of me as I was driving into Ashridge!