Lockdown times

It's a weird time for all of us at the moment. When I last published a blog post, I didn't in a million years, imagine we would be part of a global lockdown a few weeks later. 

My home situation changed dramatically last summer when my flat was flooded and I moved in with my mum temporarily, but with hindsight I couldn't have picked a better place to be in lockdown. I am also now on furlough, so have even more time on my hands than before. If I was still at home I would be walking to Cranford Park for my daily exercise, and I must admit I miss the park immensely. Thankfully the Cranford Park Friends facebook page keeps me going.

So below are a few snaps I've taken recently from the confines of my Mum's house and garden.

I can see the sunset from the loft room window, and some evenings it has been absolutely stunning...

 I really miss doing my weekly UKBMS butterfly count at Cranford Park but there have been a few butterflies visiting Mums garden. Species name under each photo....

Orange-tip (female)

Orange-tip (male)

Brimstone (male)

Peacock

 My other passion are hoverflies but there aren't too many of them in the garden yet. Instead I found this cracking Marsham's Nomad bee (nomada marshamella).....

This is one of the Cuckoo bees who's prey includes the Andrena bees and is pretty common and widespread across the UK.

There is a ringed Robin that started building three nests before finally settling on using one of them that was situated behind a flower pot in Mums back porch. We called her Ringo, and she was fairly tame and got quite used to me photographing her.....

She successfully raised her chicks but moved them all away once they fledged, so no cute photos of baby Robins this time. 

Like most of the south of England, the Ring-necked Parakeets are a common sight, and whether you love or hate them, you cannot deny they make for some very colourful pictures.....

Another regular visitor to the garden is the Great Spotted Woodpecker. I've seen both female and male birds, but surprisingly they are not a 'couple'. The female flies away over the house and the male flies away over the back field.....

female

male

At the back of the garden, there is a field which normally has one or two grazing horses. There haven't been any there for a few weeks now so the grass is growing longer and new wild flowers are coming into bloom that normally wouldnt. As it is a private field, there is no access to the public either, so I feel very chuffed to have that sort of view from the loft window. 

Over the years I've often spotted a Muntjac deer in the field. The field backs on to the Grand Union canal, and has a small transport company to one side and a large allotment site to the other. Today I saw another deer, and immediately reached for my camera. A few shots fired off and I realised there were two. They were both right over the other side of the field, and a little far away for my camera to focus on, so my photos are pretty crap. I've only cropped them, I haven't edited them in any other way. 

They were a male and female. Muntjac deer are not 'herd' deer like the Fallow or Red Deer, they dont gather in groups. They are solitary and secretive, only coming together to mate. They are also very territorial, and this field is only the third place in Mums village that I know I can see them. I know they are not a native species and they are common and widespread throughout England, but I still get a kick out of spotting them. They are so shy that I can count on one hand how many times I have actually managed to photograph them, so I was very excited this afternoon to see these two, even if my photos are just record shots only. 

To put in perspective the position of my 'lockdown loft', in the first photo below is me in at the loft window taken from halfway down the garden, and the second photos is an iPhone pic of just part of the view I have from my lovely vantage point. Compare that to the brick and concrete walls which were the view from my flat, I can honestly say how lucky I feel. 

Hopefully now I am getting into a 'lockdown' routine, my blog posts should become more regular. 

Weirdly, but probably commonly felt, no two days are the same anymore. There are days when I wake refreshed and full of energy, and days where I cannot get out of bed. I've lost the routine of work so often forget what day of the week it is. These are weird days. Overthinking all the time. Dragging out a chore like washing up to kill time. Getting re-connected with nature is helping a lot. I feel I have a purpose in life again. 

I'm no longer classed as a keyworker, but I want to thank all of you who are, and all of the frontline staff, that are keeping this country going through these shitty times. 

Stay safe and stay home