Sussex Scrapbook
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Nature walks throughout the year
Sunday 1st
June 2008
Wivelsfield to Lewes
13 miles
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The weather forecast
basically said "dunno", so we were ready for anything today. It turned out to be
hot and steamy and very muddy. No need for jumpers and waterproofs so we think
that it's safe to "cast a clout, as May is out". Not that either of us knows
what a clout is.
In West Wood we were lucky enough to find a completely clean
badgers skull and decided to take it home with us. We are starting to amass
a small collection of animal skulls now.
In the past two weeks we have come across people with their dogs off their lead
in fields with livestock in. This week the dog chased the sheep around the
field, an offence that can see the dog being destroyed on sight! If you are
taking your dog out into the countryside, then please observe the
countryside code. It's there so that we can all continue to use and enjoy
the British countryside safely without threatening peoples livelihood.
On arrival at Lewes we staked out the County Hall where an
Alpine Swift has been seen recently. Although there were quite a few swifts
flying around, there wasn't an alpine one among them (none wearing lederhosen
anyway). With our jaunt completed, we treated ourselves to a half of
Biddenden Cider at the Brewers Arms in Lewes. Any more than a half of this
exceptionally strong stuff after 13 miles would have seen us fast asleep at the
bar.
.JPG)
Don't it just make you want to be a vegetarian?
We don't see many dragons in these parts,
as they were all hunted to extinction by Knights with nothing better to do!
There were plenty of different types of
stile on our route today, most of them built by the Monday Group.
This "floating stile" was one of our favourites.
Lots of common spotted orchids and species-rich hedgerows
around the East Chiltington area
Black Cap (the dome of trees in the
centre) was to be our initial target on the Downs.
Stunning views on the way up and even
better ones from the top.
.JPG)
On the top it was totally quiet, so we lay
down in the meadow for a while and took in the sound of the birds,
the buzz of the insects and the smell of the millions of flowers. Perfect!