A still and silent day

Having been stuck in the house for a couple of days, I was glad to get out for a walk round Ring Haw this afternoon. The grey sky was a little lighter than in previous days and there was no wind to speak of, so quite pleasant conditions for a stroll. At first glance the countryside seemed to be silently static - no birds calling and scarcely the rustle of a leaf. But under the seemingly unmoving surface, plenty is going on. I found many leaf rosettes of the locally rare small-flowered buttercup, as well as rosettes of several other annual species. A few plants were in flower, including the first stinking hellebore, spurge-laurel and a set of three surviving Viburnum x bodnantense in a wooded area that I must have walked past in the summer without noticing.

In the morning we did the Big Garden Birdwatch and recorded eighteen species including a blackcap that's been a regular at the feeders for several weeks, and our pair of ring-necked parakeets, who turned up to feast on fat balls. As usual, several species didn't show their faces, including the wren and goldcrest, who have a tendency to lurk in bushy places out of sight. We also didn't see wither the great spotted or green woodpeckers, who are both decidedly sporadic visitors, so always a bonus if they do turn up.