Saturday 12th July 2008
Billingshurst - Fittleworth - Pulborough
12.5 miles
This beautiful summers
walk, with just the threat of rain showers, took us along the River Arun and its
accompanying canal along the
Wey South Path. The hedgerows were alive with small birds and insects, and
when the air wasn't filled with the scent of meadowsweet and honeysuckle it was
sickly sweet with the pungent perfume of the stinkhorn fungus.
We passed through woods of tall beeches to the accompaniment of blackcaps and
chiffchaffs and through lush meadows of wild flowers escorted by linnets. The
waters played host to dragonflies and damselflies and we watched closely as a
Southern Hawker laid its eggs on the leaves of some Amphibious Bistort (Persicaria
amphibia).
While I was in the churchyard at Fittleworth, Gill managed to set of the
church's burglar alarm by trying to discover why it had a chimney. She shot out
into the churchyard looking very surprised. We made a hasty retreat!
At the quiet village of Stopham we watched a bat hunting insects in broad
daylight; it tried to catch a small yellow butterfly, but was expertly
out-manoeuvred by it.
There were only empty threats of bad weather today
Lording's Lock (TQ058 245), a great place for a picnic
Some of the artefacts found at the bottom of the lock during
its refurbishment.
They include: clay pipes, a ginger beer bottle, oyster shells, farmyard
machinery parts and lots of willow pattern plates
As we are very caring walkers, the landowners had nothing to fear!
A type of dog rose gall known as Robin's Pincushion.
This growth is caused by the larvae of the gall wasp Diplolepis rosae,
which lives in the centre of the gall.
Ringlet butterflies mating
The Toat Monument doing an impression of Glastonbury Tor
St Mary's Church Fittleworth, where Gill managed to set off the alarm!
The footpath sent us through a field of rape. It was hard work pushing our way
through it.
Teasel
A bat seen catching insects long before
dusk at Stopham Church