Medmerry Nature Reserve - just after Dawn: 1st June 2020

Well, it's our first blog post since the start of the year folks, and long overdue, but obviously it's been restrictive due to the current situation.

We awoke at 5am and peeked out of the bedroom window to what was again shaping up to be a fine day. Out the door by 05:20 we were pulling up in the car park at Medmerry Nature Reserve by 05:30, with just one other early riser's car there ,and the sun already quite high in the clear blue sky.

The path that runs around the reserve is easy to navigate, with viewing points along the way, and is definitely one of our favourite local walks at any time of year.

A short walk along the  path heading West and we're greeted by one of the resident cows seemingly intent on staring us down.

This time of year at Medmerry is so wonderful as although the Gorse has finished flowering, the Oxeye Daisies are in full bloom, as is the purple Cow Vetch.

As we continued further heading towards the beach, we spotted a lone Deer in the lush green of the wheat fields, and even though we were a good hundred yards away or more, they stood stock still as we passed.

As we walked on, we had already heard one Cuckoo, and as we got nearer to the beach we heard another, and both Cuckoos were calling simultaneously. Looking east across the reserve we were really fortunate to see this one, and managed our first photo. We carried on feeling very chuffed.

One and a half miles into our walk, we neared the 'Stilt Pools' close to the beach, where a pair of adult Swans were with their cygnets all fast asleep on the island. Ahhh...

Just as we neared the beach and the halfway point, a pair of Shelduck wheeled across the sky, and we managed a quick photo of one of these very striking birds.

We got to the beach, and stood on the shingle looking out to sea for a few mins, and guess what? We didn't take a photo of the beach alas, so here's a photo of the Stilt Pools with the sea in the distance.

We started to retrace our steps back along the path and as is usual with Medmerry, the air is always filled with the sound of Skylarks, and on this fine June morning they were in full song.

We hadn't actually seen any Deer reasonably close-up, and thought we might have missed seeing them. However Medmerry didn't disappoint, and across the fields in amongst the Oxeye daisies we were watched intently, by this lovely solitary deer.

Pebble loves this walk too, with certain sights, sounds and smells, that only dogs can appreciate.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, and the temperature was starting to climb, we were almost back at the car park, when Jean spotted this crossing the path. At over 2 inches long, it was a pretty large Caterpillar, and we're not sure the name of it yet.

A few minutes later we were back at the car park for the short drive home, and tea and toast. Well for us anyway, as Pebble had her Lamb type dinner, which she woofed down.

And there we go with our first blog of 2020. It's a great walk at Medmerry and three miles to the beach and back, it's not so far, especially when it's so warm.