Valley of Fields Walk

This morning we walked from our home with a group of five other RSPB members on an approx 7 mile circuit (Valley of Fields Walk) through  Oliver's Battery, Yew Hill butterfly reserve, Yew Hangers at Compton Down, and Shawford Down to  Shawford  station,  where  we had a snack at the excellent  new Platform One cafe. Revived, we carried  on beside the Itchen Navigation, along Five  Bridges Road, by St Cross and over Bushfield Down  to Oliver's Battery. We didn't spot the Osprey today but did meet a couple who had seen one last week in the area . Was it the same one we saw yesterday, I wonder?  We did see  lots of Chiffchaffs flitting over the water catching  insects,  and  a pair of Grey Wagtails gathering nesting material.. The blip is the  view from Compton Down looking towards Winchester and St Catherine's Hill,  with its ancient earthworks from  an Iron Age fort. 
Plants found  included Marsh Marigold, Butterbur and  Coltsfoot by the Itchen Navigation, and  Moschatel, in bud, in the yew hangers. I will try to return to Compton in a week or so to capture the  Moschatel once the flowers  are fully open.   

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