Splish, splodge, splut, schlup

For a change, the daily walk took in Tooting Bec Common and the terrain presented particularly sodden challenges. To avoid lots of people on the paths, we walked on to the football fields only to squelch our way out again. Several paths took us to humungous puddles that needed good-sized wellies to get through. On those occasions, we attempted a depth test then walked back the way we came along with various joggers, families, and dog walkers. I think this made the paths that were passable even more busy. However, I was happy to have a change of scene and hear the birds singing in the woods. We walked through Furzedown, an area that we'd never heard of until we encountered a lovely building called Furzedown Lodge on the edge of the Common. It looked like a gatehouse to us and, sure enough, it belonged to Furzedown House in the past. 

We meandered through the streets passing a tempting bakery that I've filed in my head for a post-lockdown visit, a ginger cat up a tree that I waved at (cats get annoyed when they're spotted on the hunt, or at least they look grumpy when waved at), a cheery hello with a couple of dog walkers who wondered what I was waving at, and a diversion to M&S to buy hot cross buns. A big thanks to dogwithnobrain for putting this idea into my head – sadly, they were out of marmite and cheese and of salted caramel, so I made do with chilli and cheese hot cross buns and double chocolate ones. Nom.

Happily laden with M&S treats (and some essentials, just in case), we headed up home via the long and winding Russell's Footpath, which took us away from the busy roads.

Walking Poppy later in the day was no less muddy as Poppy and I were both chasing a soggy ball through squelchy Norwood Park. This was quite fun, though, and we didn't have to dodge anyone.

I managed another RSPB Garden Bird Watch and was more successful than yesterday as it wasn't raining:

5 feral pigeons
2 blue tits
1 great tit
2 robins
4 goldfinches
2 magpies
3 woodpigeons
1 blackbird
3 redwings (yay, they're still visiting)
and I think a blackcap, but I can't say for sure as it was just a glimpse and I lost sight of it.