Easter bunnies, close to home under Coaley Peak

Helena was feeling grateful for the holiday after a long term at work and the many other tasks she takes on for other people. Understandably she didn't want to join me on a jaunt to play with my camera, so I got in the car and let the moment decide where I'd go.

There was a cold wind but it was very sunny. I drove up to Rodborough Common thinking I might take advantage of distant views across the valleys. Once on top however I just kept going and drove straight over and down the other side in the Nailsworth Valley. That didn't keep me so it was time to ascend to Selsley Common but that was crowded and a bit bleak.

I carried along the escarpment in the direction of Uley and then remembered that earlier in the afternoon I'd seen some gliders flying high above Coaley Peak. As I was passing the old airfield on the top of the escarpment I drove into the entrance to see if any planes were hauling the gliders into the air. There was a little activity but mostly the gliders were being moved back off the grass runaway to their standing positions. One pilot shouted out if I wanted to come and have a close up look at his plane, but I gratefully declined. I headed back onto the road to Uley with Coaley Peak in mind.

There is a wonderful viewpoint there within a few yards of Nympsfield Long Barrow, which is an excavated Neolithic burial site and scheduled ancient monument. I parked and walked to the edge of the escarpment before going to the topograph that looks across the Severn Vale towards the Forest of Dean and south Wales.

While walking along the edge of the very steep hillside I could at last polay with my camera testing its various functions and capabilities. It is quite different to my original Mk1 version so I found it challenging at first.

At one point I looked down and spotted a rabbit scurrying along the hillside between clumps of scrub, an old dead tree and what I soon realised was its burrowing area. As I continued watching a lot of other rabbits emerged out of the 'background', leaping about and playing quite openly. They obviously know that no humans were going to run down this dangerously steep slope to threaten them. This was their territory.

So I think it is appropriate and possibly traditional to blip Easter bunnies on Good Friday. I hope you all have a good weekend as we begin to move away from the tight restrictions of the current lockdown that may end next weekend.