The bacon butty walk

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A couple of weeks ago we decided to walk from the barns to Codnor Park reservoir to get some fresh air. It's a walk that goes down the fields, across the steam railway, along the coach road and then onto Cromford canal and then to the reservoir. It is a nice walk, not dramatic, but nice and it harks back to our industrial heritage. The weather started off sunny but we just reached the bacon butty van at the reservoir when the heavens opened. There was no option but to have a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea whilst sheltering from the rain. Well, I have to say it was the best bacon sandwich I've had in ages, and the cup of tea hit the spot as well. The Waters Edge bacon butty van has featured in Derbyshire Life magazine and manages very well without advertising but relies on word of mouth and facebook recommendations. After the rain we turned around and rushed back to the barns before the next deluge.....and almost made it in time.

The reservoir at Codnor park has become a favourite gentle stroll and bird watching venue. At the moment there are many baby water fowl including swans, moorhen, mallard and coot. Checkout my instagram feed for photos. 

Bike week and National picnic week and 30 days wild

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The long planned family bike ride actually took place during Bike Week. We even had a picnic in National picnic week and we cycled at Carsington reservoir with all it's abundance of bird life during 30 Days Wild. How unexpectedly co-ordinated that turned out to be as it was planned weeks ago. There was even had a break in the dreadful weather of the last week and it was dry if a little overcast. We had a lovely day. The funniest thing is that I still have bike chain oil on my calves, as was pointed out at my nephews baby's christening today :)

#30dayswild Saltfleetby and Theddlethorpe Dunes Nature Reserve

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We are not very good at identifying wildlife - birds, butterflies, wildflowers are all pretty much a mystery to us. We don't let it put us off though and we are getting better at it and it doesn't stop us from appreciating the pretty and peaceful nature reserves. This time it is the turn of Theddlethorpe dunes nature reserve on the east coast in Lincolnshire.

#30 days wild at Minsmere

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After a flurry of barn conversion related admin and anxiety over the past few weeks  we were able to (almost) forget about it and unwind and relax during our holiday over Spring Half Term. Typically we were holidaying in the coldest area of the country for that particular week on the east coast of England in Suffolk and then in Lincolnshire. On the west coast they were basking in 23°c heat whilst we had a miserly 11°c fresh (ie cold) north wind, with occasional showers to add to the misery. However, we were undeterred and intrepid and visited Minsmere nature reserve in Suffolk and spotted a Bittern, marsh harriers, muntjac deer and  the Spring Watch TV crew setting up for filming. Can the film crew be classed as 30 days wild? I'm going to take it as an official wild sighting. 

Poppy fields and sparrowhawk - @30DaysWild day 23

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I've been making the effort to notice the world on my daily commute, so yesterday instead of engaging the mental autopilot and GET HOME mentalilty, I saw this heavenly site and instead of whizzing by, I pulled over and got out with my camera. I spent a while just marvelling in the beauty of a meadow full of poppies.

Not my best photo ever, but later on we went out on a wildness adventure along a local footpath. The most wild thing about it initially was the fact that the nettles were bigger than us, and possibly a danger to life and limb. However, when we could go no further and turned back we could hear an incredible ruckus in the trees. The birds were going mental about something, and then we saw it. I'm pretty sure it was a sparrowhawk, but my camera reaction time was so slow that I only just caught it.