Escape to Tyttenhanger

It's so good to wander around a wild area for half a day or so, then come home for afternoon tea and "reflection". I wanted somewhere I could write my personal thoughts, hence the blog.

My blogs will be dedicated to my father who died recently. We may not have always gotten along, but he was someone whom I admired greatly. Wildlife was a definite common interest; I did enjoy our "nature walks". He was the reason for my love of the natural world, always coupled with a healthy balance of reverence without sentimentality.

At the moment I have to get out and into the countryside as much as I can. My one release. Today we went to Tyttenhanger, for a picnic as much as anything. A few stolen moments. The weather was grey and blustery when we set off. We parked near the model railway (were I am assured that there are Marsh Tits and Little Owls (no, not today!)). We wandered through the fantastic fields as far as the stream, where we ate. Large Skippers were everywhere amongst the grass and feeding on the bramble, which is now well in flower. On the way I collected seed from the "big friendly dandy-giant" as it will be forever called, unless it germinates in my small dead-nettle bank next year. At that point, or a few weeks later, it might just find itself re-christened.

Why is it that people find us fascinating to look at? I think it's me - my coat and the collection of things I wear around my neck. I know they do because people looked back and stared today. My bins were out (as always) but they must have seen these before? I was wearing my loupe, maybe I'm just kidding myself that it looks like a stylish pendant dangling from my silver-grey lanyard? Anyway, both were put to good use today. I found Meadow and Creeping Buttercups growing side-by-side. Yes, MB has smooth stems. Yes CB has grooved stems. Both have sepals pointing forwards. So what is growing in my lawn-come-meadow? A good bed-fellow for the "BFD" if it germinates, I reckon.

Lunch was fantastic. Next to the river, the sun appearing on cue. We were watching the Common Terns. They got used to us within 5 minutes, and changed their flight path to directly over our heads. I think they were feeding from the fishing lakes and taking food back to the gravel pit, possibly to their young, the beach is a little too far to view (note to self - more "nerdy" equipment is now needed, in the shape of a telescope). On one occasion two passed each other in close proximity to us. I swear they exchanged words, but I don't speak "Ternese" so who knows what they said. Something about avoiding the perils of discarded fishing line, hopefully.

Common Whitethroats "spat out" their scratchy notes in the banks all around us. A pair of Lapwings flew east right above our heads. And a male Linnet in all his glory watched us from a dead twig for several minutes. The first Linnet I've ever seen in Herts. But AshLee can be as blind as a bat, so there were probably hundreds of the beggers hidden in the hedges, waiting till the "strange-looking humans adorned with the dangly objects" left them in peace.

On the way back to the car there was what I think was one of the Burnet Moths flying on the other side of a hedge. One for the "Pink Butterfly" thread possibly, but I won't venture in there (what a truly odd place that is. It seems a bit contentious and I'm sure it's managed to survive for so long because the reference to the "number one girly word" protects it from the hard-core trolls like some sort of rose quartz amulet).

Further down the path was one for Xeno Canto - a prolonged raucous chattering in the trees in the next field along. I will start with BOP and if that fails, Corvids, at a guess. I'm hoping it's a Hobby - my very favourite BOP atm. But somehow I don't think I am that lucky. Still, we will live in hope.

If anyone lives near Tyttenhanger I'd definitely recommend it as a place to while away half-a-day or so. It's really quite underrated. But if you do spot us, please don't stop and stare. I'm getting quite a complex.