Bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum )

Today we made the journey north back to the site outside Rugeley where we stopped to break the journey on the way down.  The 150 mile journey took 6.5 hours!  Let's say we stopped for an hour for breaks along the way, although I doubt it was that long.  This gives an average speed of 27.25 miles an hour.  When you realise the vast majority of the journey was on dual carriageways and motorways it becomes mind-boggling.  Almost every time I make I long journey I become even more convinced UK roads are just not fit for purpose.

Having got to our site on the edge of Cannock Chase we had a well deserved rest followed by our meal.  It was a lovely sunny calm evening so we had a stroll up the lane beside the campsite into the Chase.  Few birds were visible being high in the trees or deep in the scrub.  We saw a Chiffchaff and Crow, we heard, Blackbird, Blackcap, Greenfinch, Mistle Thrush, Cuckoo, Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

The blip is a newly open frond of Bracken a fern growing in profusion on the Chase.