Wyver Lane & Garden Birds

With all the snow this week we decided just to have a local walk around Wyver Lane & Wyver Farm.  We met at the Talbot which is at the bottom of Belper Lane just 10 minutes walk from my house. I got there first and while i was waiting i had a look at the Mill and weir. When we were all together we strolled along Wyver Lane to the bird watching platform where we met an interesting couple from Nottingham road who had been walking in this area for years. We had great discussions on the fall and demise of some of the birds that were very common 30 years ago but are now rarely seen. The main pond was 80% iced over and there was very little to see in the way of wildlife. We then pressed on to the old rifle practice wall, had a look around there and retraced our steps to the footpath that leads up to Wyver Farm. The small copse there has a Geo cache item hidden, which i had found previously a couple of years ago, i showed it to the lads and Rob filled in the log book. We carefully put it back and covered it over again.
We had to get through this very very narrow style, well i got stuck and couldn't stop laughing. From there it was a real struggle to get up this field, the snow covered everything and it was very uneven underneath. When we got to the top of the field after all this struggling i couldn't believe it when i saw 3 blokes riding past in the snow uphill on mountain bikes (they are a different breed). From here it was a walk through the farm yard and through an avenue of trees to come at the top end of Belper Lane.
10 minutes later we were in my garage eating breakfast, they wouldn't take there boots off to come into the house. After brekki and a chat the three Blackbrookers had another 3/4 mile to walk Home.
The photos are from my walk with the lads plus a couple of pics i did the next day after some more snow and a couple of bird pics from my back garden.

Belper Mill & Weir

Looking up Bridge Hill

The garden opposite the Talbot

Wyver Lane

Belper Wildlife Pond

Rifle Practice Wall

Not a tropical Island

Me stuck in a style

Mountain bikers everywhere

I dont think it'll pass its MOT

Weird shaped window frame on this old barn

Wyver farm

 

Looking down Pinewood Road           

Looking down Belper Lane

Looks like this sheep has been dragged through a hedge backwrds

Until 2 days ago the bird hierarchy of the birds was straight forward. When the Dunnock eats the food he is bombed by the Robin, then the Robin is chased by the Blackbird. Well since the arrival of Thrushy  he's in charge, he has even taken out a pigeon. Fascinating to watch nature at work.

 

Long Tailed Tits are left alone by the others.

                                               
See you next week
Cheers