(Entry copied from WAB blog)
Nice 12-mile walk today from Stoke Row in the Oxfordshire part of the Chilterns. I’m usually a fair-weather walker (being retired I can choose which days to walk) but I chose to walk today despite the forecast saying there’d be heavy showers in the afternoon. In the event I had a soaking for about 20-25 minutes just before finishing the walk.
Followed a bridleway for some miles to the hamlet of Hailey, then followed a bit of the Chiltern Way for a mile or so. Then followed the Ridgeway path along an ancient earthwork called Grim’s Ditch for a couple of miles – I saw and heard a Raven here (possibly the same one I saw last week, as Swyncombe was only a couple of miles or so away). I then came to the village of Nuffield with its ancient church. There was a brief shower as I crossed the golf course here, which stopped me photographing a nearby Buzzard.
I soon picked up another part of the Chiltern Way, which led me almost to Park Corner. Here I turned south to Nettlebed, which was where the rain started. I followed bridleways on hard surfaces most of the way from Nettlebed back to Stoke Row.
The Spring flowers are really starting to put in an appearance – more Bluebells, Lesser Celandine, Primroses, Wood Anemones and lots of Greater Stitchwort for the first time this year. Don’t know how I only managed to see Wood Anemones in just one spot last year – I saw them in numerous places today.
I saw three Fallow Deer (from the Bridleway to Park Corner), including a Buck with impressive antlers. Needless to say there were numerous Red Kites too. Driving back I saw more Kites at Longwick and Great Kimble, further evidence of their spreading out from their release sites.