Lacock (Friday 13th February 2015)

On Friday 13th my brother came up for the day to join me on a hunt for the Calne dippers. True to type it was raining when we walked along the Marden and at first there was no sign of them, although there were marks on some stones that showed their recent presence. We did see the little egret, and a flock of mallards that took off included a couple of mandarin ducks. However, we were finally rewarded by the flypast of a dipper a couple of times, and heard its call, and as a bonus we also saw a kingfisher.

After lunch at the Bell in Lacock, we did a second walk up to Bowood Lake from Pillars Lodge at Mile Elm, and bumped into a member of the Calne Wildlife Facebook group and her husky Crystal that I had previously only known from her avatar online. We also saw some pairs of great crested grebes doing their spring dance.

On the way back we paused by St Mary's in the hope of seeing the local peregrine falcon. Again, we had no luck at first, but then it flew in with its latest kill, a hapless black bird, that it proceeded to pluck the feathers from and start to devour.

The Bell not only produced a good lunch for us but also had this sluice gate that once belonged to the old Wilts and Berks canal that used to flow just below the inn, crossing Bowden Hill on its way to Melksham from Chippenham.

L.
21.2.2015 (2023 hr)

Blip #1503 (#1753 including archived blips)
Consecutive Blip #000
Day #1787
LOTD #738 (#858 including archived blips)

Canals series
iPad series
Lacock series
Wilts and Berks Canal series

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Grateful Dead - El Paso (recorded live, 27 September 1972, Stanley Theatre, Jersey City NJ)

One Year Ago: Derry Hill (snowdrops)