Passing through

As it was going to be another scorcher, I went for an early walk down to the river. It was already warm at 8 a.m. with hardly a breath of breeze. A pair of grey wagtails were feeding along the edge of the Rowing Lake. This species usually breeds close to fast flowing rivers and is more frequent in the uplands of Britain, but they seem to be quite regular visitors to Thorpe Meadows, more usually in winter and early spring. This pair has almost certainly finished breeding, which may account for the rather scruffy appearance, and has probably moved into an area with easy food pickings. I'm not sure whether they'll stay or whether they're just passing through...

In the afternoon Pete, Chris, Lizzy and I went to visit his Mum. She was quite perky, despite the heat, and an adjustment to her hearing aid made on a recent visit to the audiologist meant that communication was much easier. She enjoyed a piece of orange polenta cake that we'd brought from the party, while her partner tucked into the lemon, blueberry and elderflower drizzle cake.