Biking Birder I January 30th 2010 A Day of rest

 

30th January                   hear you Knockin'                                                    Dave Edmunds 

                          

               OK, a rest day but I still went birding as the grounds of my B & B were beautiful and the weather was the best yet. The song reference was to me having an extra hour in bed. Well deserved! My breakfast was given and enjoyed later than the B & B had wanted as I eventually awoke from my slumbers.

               Very cold with thick hoar frost that coated every branch and twig creating a dazzling scene in the strong winter sunlight, with not a cloud in the sky, nor any wind in the valleys, I explored the area well wrapped up. Four Fallow Deer and six Buzzards were the reward for an early walk in the frost. The B & B was gorgeous, Stone Cross, near Ashurst, an old farmhouse with timber beams everywhere and a substantial breakfast. At £35 a night, it was money well spent, a beautiful house and so comfortable. Moving on would be difficult!

 

Biking Birder I January 29th 2010 Tudeley Woods RSPB Reserve

 

29^th January               Teddy Bear’s Picnic                                           Jimmy Kennedy

               With no breakfast at the night’s Bed & Breakfast, I cycled to try to find the next RSPB reserve on my itinerary, Tudeley Woods RSPB Reserve. I was to be there by 10:00 a.m. to meet the warden, a volunteer and the local press. The large RSPB reserve consisted mostly of deciduous woodland and was the other side of Royal Tunbridge Wells from where I had spent the night. On a very cold yet sunny dry day, I eventually found the reserve, despite having taken a wrong country lane. Luck had been with me because an RSPB worker had seen me cycling along and he stopped to direct me in the right direction.

              A barrier of a long, thick, metal pole at the car park was lifted when Matthew, the assistant warden and Sarah Cobell, an enthusiastic sunshine volunteer with the look of Diane Keaton about her, arrived. Almost immediately four other cars arrived with single men in each, staring at we three. Discretion prevents me from saying why these men had arrived. Anyway, they all scooted off post haste when an extremely attractive photographer arrived from the local press. As soon as her camera was out, they were off! Obviously, these young men only had eyes for each other, weren’t here for a teddy bears’ picnic and did not want the local people to know that. The photographer was from the Kent Courier newspaper and I only hope that the photo with Matthew and Sarah, as well as me, was the one chosen for the paper. Wonderful people, sunshine people and I was so lucky to meet them.

              Once the photographer had left, I was taken by Land Rover to another part of the extensive reserve. The Marsh Tit seen there amongst the other woodland birds could not be counted on my year list. No carbon! Back at the original Tudeley Woods, the RSPB staff bade goodbye around midday and I birded the rest of the day by myself, exploring areas to the north and south. This wonderful RSPB reserve had a wide variety of woodland and heath habitats with few birds yet it was very enjoyable birding here despite the cool conditions. My teenage birding had been around ancient Oak woodlands like this one so I felt right at home despite being far from it. Very few birds were around; the wintry weather perhaps having moved them on or maybe they were flocked up in areas that I did not explore. I did see a male Sparrowhawk and a Treecreeper. [121] Otherwise the four mile walk around all areas of the reserve was mostly bird free. Mind you I love trees and there is enough here for anyone.

              Interesting charcoal manufacturing artefacts were in the northern woods, signs of the history of the forest. To the south, Matthew and the amazingly enthusiastic volunteer, Sarah were working in the afternoon on clearing Silver Birch scrub, increasing the heath habitat in that area. Nearby there were fabulously large Beech trees. Beautiful!

After birding at Tudeley Woods RSPB reserve, the cycle to the B & B was tough as snow fell and I then took a wrong road down a very steep hill to Groombridge instead of Stone Cross. Having been given directions, I still managed to get lost and an attempt to ask for directions in the dark, at a house on a small country lane, was greeted with all the previously bright house lights being turned off and no answer! I am sorry if I frightened someone!
 

17.61 miles                                                     1373 feet elevation up   1384 feet down

Biking Birder I January 28th 2010 1066 and all that! Battle.

 

28^th January                 In Your Eyes                                                                            Peter Gabriel

              Early in the morning I reached Battle, north of Hastings. It had been a battle too. Yesterday's trials with a broken gear box had ended with a comfortable settee and a fascinating evening with a lovely couple. The kindness of strangers was to be a constant feature of the year. People I had never met before invited me in for a drink, a meal, sometimes even a bed! They asked for nothing except my company, which I gladly gave. Wonderful, kind people.

              Breakfast by Kate was a geometric delight! Soon to be on my way again, I bade farewell to my saviours and with my thanks echoing down the road, I set off for the real site of the Battle of Hastings, the town of Battle not Hastings.

              The road to the historic battle site had a garage so I called in and amazingly it did cycle repairs too! My guardian angels were looking after me. A quick taking apart and putting back together of the gear changing system and all was right again with the bike and the world.

              On reaching the town of Battle, I found the entrance of the English Heritage Visitor's Centre and exited to explore the battlefield itself. 

              I had been here back in 1990, with Diane of course, for a re-enactment with a cast of thousands. On that day thousands formed a rectangular crowd, cordoned off they and I watched as the might of Normandy charged uphill towards the Saxon swards. Thousands of thankfully blunted arrows rained down on the Norman heads as a loudspeaker told of the progress made.

The biggest show of interest by the crowd was when an ambulance came through to take a fallen cavalry soldier away. He, having fallen from his horse during the charge, had a broken leg.

Around the Abbey I went and onto a terrace overlooking the fields; detailed explanation boards with colour artist impressions told of the battle. Most interesting and being lazy I photographed them instead of taking copious notes. Birds were here too, as they are everywhere, Fieldfares and Redwings mostly.

               Now silly photographs, either when with people are around or, as in this case, when I am alone, can be fun. So, when I came across the place where poor King Harold received his eye watering shock, I lay down, placed a stick next to my eye, lolled my tongue out and took a selfie!

              My afternoon was spent cycling towards Royal Tunbridge Wells with drizzly sleet and a darkening sky. The road was extremely busy, scary even and I want to thank all car drivers for not hitting me!

 

26.05 miles                                                    1558 feet elevation up   1419 feet down