April

I don’t suppose that information is kept on something as subjective as the most glorious April on record, but if it was, this year’s would have to be a contender. Some days have had the freshness of spring with bright blue skies, gentle warmth and light breezes. Others have been like summer, with a stillness and heat that chase people and wildlife into the shade of trees, many of which are now in full leaf.
On one such day I walked over the land belonging to the Woodland Trust to the south of Oakham. Ball’s Meadow, Harris Grove and Brooke Hill Wood. Three names for a small area of land, a gentle slope leading to a view over Oakham and Rutland Water. The sheep had all been pushed to the margins, sheltering under bushes, huddled together, not for warmth but for protection from the sun’s heat. Birds were difficult to spot, they were briefly visible, dashing from tree to bush. The spring’s breeding necessities forced them to keep active, but they did not pause in the unseasonal midday warmth. Among the foliage it was possible to gain the briefest of glimpses of finches, robins  and blackbirds. But it was the song of the warblers; the chiff chaffs and blackcaps, that gave the consistent indication of avian activity. The gorse coming into flower released its soft coconut scent, and among these brown and yellow bushes a good number of bluebells reminded me that this was spring and not summer. As I walked back down towards the town I spotted a buzzard circling on the thermals. This raptor was joined by two kestrels doing the same, climbing higher and higher. A crow flew into view and seemed to think about interfering, but gave up after a couple of passes as the birds of prey gained altitude and disappeared into the blue.

Gorse Flowers

View from the Woodland Trust land on the edge of  Oakham.

Looking north from Rockingham Castle