Nutty

Overnight, local flooding got worse as water moved down the River Avon, which was already over its banks in many places. Our village is still fine, thankfully, though houses on the other side of the loop remain under threat, and I'm very grateful that the main drain under the lane on our side was replaced a few years ago.

This morning the Bidford webcam suggested that the bridge was still open, though the water level was at least a metre higher than yesterday, but when I headed towards it I discovered that the Roman Road was closed about half a mile before the bridge approach, because the large puddles I had to skirt yesterday have now become substantial ponds. This meant that in order to get to Hillers I had to drive all the way back to Evesham and cross the Avon at the bypass, then meander round on the B4088. Which was especially annoying, because I didn't particularly want to go to Hillers in the first place, on a bright afternoon that was saying "owls!" - but my route to the owl field goes through some low-lying villages, and I was doubtful that they'd all be passable.

Maybe tomorrow. If it doesn't rain again overnight.

Anyhoo, grumpy as I was by the time I reached Hillers - and all the more so given that the hide was so full I had to wait for someone to leave so that I could get in - I cheered up when this Nuthatch posed so prettily for me. It only made one trip to the table in the time I was there, so I was more than pleased to have captured this view. A chap further along the bench showed someone else the nuthatch shots on the back screen of his camera, and when they made an appreciative noise said "Yup - that'll do - I don't think I'm going to better it today, so I'll get out of here and let someone else have the seat." 

Chimping at my shots, I tended to think he was probably right, but as I'd only just got a seat at this point I decided to hang on a while longer. Because Bramblings, if nothing else. Forty minutes later though, I accepted that my first run of shots were indeed the best I was likely to get today, gave up my seat, went to the garden centre for bird food, and then came home to begin a spring-clean of my study. 

Not exactly the day I'd have chosen, but it was at least productive.