Someone loves him!

I think he is a young Moorhen but mum had scuttled under the greenery at the edge of the pond. She looked smaller than a Coot.

We had a pleasant, slightly later Saturday morning walk around the St Ives Estate, I had a little bit of a lie in and then indulged in a bath as, with all yesterdays sun, we had oodles of free hot water!

Walked through the lovely dappled shade of the lower woods above Low Park where there grass has been mown, as had the field above the cricket ground, so there was a wonderful summer scent of new mown hay.

We went to Betty’s wood, now about 6 years on from its devastating clearance like the one currently taking place on the other side of the estate. The year after that cull there was the most amazing number of foxgloves flowering. I’ve been back every year since to see if they have reappeared but they never have, not one to be seen today. It was looking a bit more like woodland today rather than just scrubland. Mainly Birch and Rowan in the self seeded areas.

Back past the golf club to the Ivy Kitchen and a coffee. Then a stroll around the pond which is opened up again at the weekends. No sign of the cygnets as on Thursday but a bit further round we found a kind of crèche. One mother with one youngster came for some food but the other had 10 youngsters under the overhanging branches in the next bay - extra.  Think that’s the full compliment but not sure how many the second swan had ( the first had seven). Most of the lovely yellow Iris are flowering now too so worth the walk around.

On the other side of the pond I spotted this youngster, just had to be my blip.

A glorious day, did catch a bit of sun yesterday so covered up a bit more today. I did some forget me not removal when in the front garden when we git home and then, after a bacon butty, did the back garden, another full bag.

Washing out and dry and ironed I’m now having a cooling Wild Nettle cordial - bought in Heysham yesterday - very nice, had a gin in it last night, that was very nice too!