Yesterday was a really nice day. Plenty of sunshine but not especially hot. Even the policeman who'd stopped me earlier wished me a good time out in the countryside. I was pleased to note that the path up Burderop Hill, a climb that gets ever steeper toward the top, was dry as a bone. Usually the track is a muddy quagmire, at the bottom of the hill at least, but yesterday it was baked hard.

On my way home I was heading for Chiseldon along a farm trail. A streambed looked glaringly obvious with white stones littering the bed. No water whatsoever. The story was same north of Chiseldon. The normally free flowing stream next to the old railway was almost dry, with a few stagnant puddles in evidence. At Coate Water, the River Ray has receded alarmingly.

We had plenty of rain during the summer. Where's all the water? Times are hard in the Rainforests of Darkest Wiltshire.

If there's No-one To See It...

On the way out into the countryside I passed through Bruddel Wood. It's only a remnant of what it was once was and now forms a wooded path between housing estates. There's a big tree that looms menacingly across the path at one point and I'm never entirely confident passing underneath it. No reason, it just makes me wary.

On the way home I came back through the same area. The big tree remained in place, but another smaller tree had fallen over fifty yards further on., almost blocking the path. I wonder if anyone heard it fall?

Weather

We might be seeing a few more trees down today. Gale force gusts are expected to sweep across England. So far it's blustery and a tad chilly. But I have to say yesterday I saw the most extraordinary clouds over Swindon. Long thick fingers of it, absolutely smooth and soft edged. Elsewhere, a massive domed cloud looking for all the world like a huge UFO perched in the sky. I've never seen clouds like that in this area before. Very strange.

Bird Spotting of the Week

I'm certainly no expert on British wildlife (Bill Oddie can sleep safely tonight, his career is not under challenge from me) but occaisionally I do spot something wonderful.. I'd passed through Bruddel Wood and was passing the lower lake at Lawns. The council have stripped the lakeshore of vegetation and it looked ugly. Are the council determined to ruin every local beauty spot in this manner?

Anyway, it seems to suit others. One side of the lake was festooned with amateur fishermen taking time out from the stress of family life by waiting for fish to commit suicide by swallowing a hook provided for their use.

Before you jump to conclusions, this wasn't wonderful. Perhaps the fisherman didn't think so either because I don't think there's any fish in the lake at all. Maybe that's missing the point. What was wonderful was a crane, swooping across the lake in such a dignified manner before landing on the denuded bank the other side. I could only stop and admire the bird from a distance.

Clearly it was after something. Slowly, ever so carefullly, it stepped forward in slow motion with its gaze directed at the ground. Then it pounced, almost on top of its prey, and help up something squirming in its beak. A frog? A lizard? A small snake? Salamander? I couldn't tell at that distance. The bird looked remarkably pleased with itself before it gulped the meal down. It took off and gently winged its way back across the lake with effortless grace.

Sorry Bill, you should have been there.