Sussex
Scrapbook ~ Wildlife walks throughout the year
Saturday 28th May 2011
Thorney Island
6 miles
A number of unforeseen
events and an unwell Gill (she's starting to improve now) has lead to a lack of
wanderings in May. Today my stir-craziness was unleashed and I made a rapid, clockwise navigation
of Thorney starting from Prinsted (SU765 050).
It seems that the military checkpoint has stopped asking for all sorts of
personal information from you now and just plays a recorded message at you
instead. Photography towards the camp buildings is not allowed (it tells you)
and you must keep to the paths (OR YOU WILL BE SHOT THEN MAULED BY DOGS AND THEN
SHOT AGAIN) - have a nice day. I'm joking - they're very nice and you don't see
any guns, dogs, tanks or anything. In fact, you'd think you were on a nature
reserve peopled entirely by sailing fanatics.
The sun did peep out now and again in short bursts, but the path was already
illuminated with huge bursts of Elderflower, Honeysuckle and Dog Rose. The place
is just about carpeted with birds and although I ratched up 42 species my target
was one of the elusive cuckoos that were calling the whole way round. As luck
would have it I came across one perched on a wire just before I reached the end
of the walk and it sat and posed for me and my poor, tired, beaten and abused
camera for about 10 minutes. Trust me to find the only one that couldn't even
say cuck-oo properly!
Cuckoo Spit on nettle.
Greater Stitchwort
Cuckoo spit on brambles, but where's the
cuckoo?
Honeysuckle.
This Cuckoo seemed to have a sore throat (see below). Had it something to do
with all of the spitting?
Cuckoo with a sore throat!
Take the time to read
the
countryside code for yourself and please stick to it at all times.