Hi folks
I went train spotting the other Saturday, near Cullompton. For those interested in steam engines, I saw a double-headed (two engines) express speeding through. The engines were “Royal Scot” and a Battle of Britain Class pacific called “Lord Dowding”.
I’m telling you this because it turned out to be a very good bird-watching spot too – I saw a blackcap 
singing away, buzzards, a sparrow hawk and two swifts overhead, plus I could hear lots of birdsong – a lovely chorus!
On another beautiful day, I walked down to the river Tale, enjoying all the pretty 
wild flowers in the hedges. This is surely the loveliest time of the year – bluebells, white flowers, pink campion, yellow dandelions (yes, they looked great), tiny blue flowers and so on. The birds were singing – robins, chaffinches, wrens, chiff-chaffs and many others.
I tarried a while at the river bridge – three swallows flying above, a grey wagtail flitting across the river, small fish making their tell-tale 
rings in the water and a huge heron flew overhead. Lots of may flies about. I had a conversation with some very inquisitive young cows, in the field next to the river. They wanted to know what I was doing there!
Martin has seen a tawny owl, near Tale; Leonard has heard the cuckoo near Yellingham and Pam has had a heron in the pool in her garden (you don’t want that!). The song thrushes are singing beautifully now – we had one in our garden trees.
Alan Jones – 841671
