The sunny morning was perfect for an autumn walk.
Sixteen took the wide track southwards into Appleslade Inclosure, rising gently
through bright yellow and bronze mixed woodland with leaves falling, A twitchy Grey Squirrel, Robin, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Jay were spotted and a few fungi: Amethyst Deceiver, puff balls and Boletus sp. At the edge we turned SW
alongside Red Shoot Wood and were soon out in the breezy, open gorse and scrub
shared by Rockford Common (National Trust) and Red Shoot Plain (National Park).
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| Meadow Pipit |
As we headed westward to Little Whitemoor there were
fleeting glimpses of Dartford Warbler, Raven, Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat
and a solitary, pristine Red Admiral resting on gorse in the sunshine. Our path
continued NW to a currently-dry stream bed beyond which we turned NE along the
ridge looking westwards across bracken- brown and golden moorland above the Avon Valley to Somerley House. Turning N to a gravel pit we headed downhill through small trees to the Linwood road
with a flurry of birds amongst abundant Holly berries and Crab Apples: Fieldfare, Redwing, Long-tailed Tits, Woodpigeon, Goldcrest. Apart from pesky
midges the only insects seen were a large brown
dragonfly, almost invisible against tree bark, a wasp and a hornet.