As I was in Chesham this morning I wondered what the state of the Chess was after several dry weeks. Was the flow we have been seeing all run off or had there been some recovery of the water table?
It seems that we are seeing groundwater from the springs higher up the valley. The flow was stronger than ever, at Water Lane it was right up to the path. Not only that but the mallards had raised a brood but there was also a grey wagtail active among the weeds. I had always regarded the return of a grey wagtail as a sign that there as life in the river again.
Passing through Chesham Bois I thought there was something odd about the display of bluebells on the common. Stopping, I realised that they were in rather unnatural clumps and on closer inspection found that somebody had been "improving" the environment by planting the Spanish variety out in the wild!
At home the robins have raised a brood, while I was weeding the garden this afternoon a juvenile suddenly appeared and perched on the bucket that I was using to transfer the weeds to the compost heap. He regarded me for a minute then decided to fly away. At the moment, apart from the robins, the garden seems to be getting a resident wood pigeon, blackbirds, a few sparrows, chaffinches and the occasional starling.
It seems that we are seeing groundwater from the springs higher up the valley. The flow was stronger than ever, at Water Lane it was right up to the path. Not only that but the mallards had raised a brood but there was also a grey wagtail active among the weeds. I had always regarded the return of a grey wagtail as a sign that there as life in the river again.
Passing through Chesham Bois I thought there was something odd about the display of bluebells on the common. Stopping, I realised that they were in rather unnatural clumps and on closer inspection found that somebody had been "improving" the environment by planting the Spanish variety out in the wild!
At home the robins have raised a brood, while I was weeding the garden this afternoon a juvenile suddenly appeared and perched on the bucket that I was using to transfer the weeds to the compost heap. He regarded me for a minute then decided to fly away. At the moment, apart from the robins, the garden seems to be getting a resident wood pigeon, blackbirds, a few sparrows, chaffinches and the occasional starling.
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