Herefordshire 2023 - Visit 3: Part 1 - Hedgehog Video etcera

 

Last week to take advantage of the dry weather forecast we returned to Herefordshire for a few days on the Monday.

We put out some food for the hedgehog and the trailcam got lots of footage. I hope the video below works ok.

Edit - just spotted date on hedgehog video ignore! - the batteries had gone flat and were replaced and B forgot to reset date and time. Footage was from last week :)  If you enlarge to full screen you will get better view of hedgehog :)

Sadly there were no signs of bats even though I sat outside for half an hour a couple of evenings half an hour after dusk.

Swallows returned on the 3rd May always a lovely sight.

Timothy on the journey

I am rather pleased with this print of a medieval map drawing that D bought in Ludlow.

We always have a jigsaw on the go and this time D completed an owl he was given for Christmas.

The Herefordshire Oak - now definitely coming into leaf.

The ivy clad tree, which I've christened the Octopus tree (well to me it vaguely resembles one!). I can also see a Witch's hat and face right at the top of the tree!  Not sure of the species - I will walk over and check when it comes into leaf.

We had planned to stay 4 nights again but as E had an important interview on Friday we decided to come home on Thursday afternoon. I did manage to visit a new church and we went to Bodenham Lakes NR one day so I'll write a few more posts over the next week.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Herefordshire 2023 Visit 2 - Part 1: Hatfield

 

Thankfully and at long last the weather forecast looked better for last week so we went to Herefordshire on the Monday. It was raining when we left home but by the time we had reached Hatfield the sun had come out.  After unpacking and lunch we did the usual click and collect from Morrisons, Leominster.

The Herefordshire Oak showing signs of budburst - well almost!

I bought the gingerbread in Ludlow on the Tuesday - its always nice to try local produce I think.

I took the bat detector D bought me for my 70th birthday last December and a guide and a book on bats. We were lucky on the first evening as half an hour after sunset half a dozen bats were foraging around the caravans, along the hedge at the side of the caravan and the trees at the rear.  We set the bat detector as recommended at 45 kHz as that is within the range of quite a few bat species.  Bat species have a range of kHz that varies between species and there is usually a peak around a certain kHz.  We were getting clicks at 45 and right up to 95. Unfortunately I didn' get chance to try lower than 45 as the bats had moved on elsewhere.  It is possible there was more than one species as at one frequency one individual bat was not being heard.  If I can pick up sounds as low as 25 and up to 95 two possible species are Natterers or Brown Long-Eared Bat.

Unfortunately the bats then failed to appear (it was cold and very windy) again until the last evening when one appeared very briefly. But I am pleased with our first attempt and I was relieved to be able to hear the clicks as due to my poor hearing these days I can hear very few bird calls and songs for example. I am really looking forward to using the detector again as the weather gets warmer and we do occasionally get bat sightings at home too.  I have an idea for a country churchyard I could try as well.  

Timothy pleased to be back!

D bought me these lovely daffodils from Morrisons.

The book shelf :)  I am slowly building up a selection of books on Herefordshire and a few on Shropshire and Worcestershire plus I've taken from home some general wildlife guides. I have another 6 books elsewhere which I am yet to read so the box of condensed novels at the end of the shelf may have to be moved!

Trees at dusk

Another photo of the Herefordshire oak, plus a tree smothered in ivy which I really like and the final photo is a copse you can see from the dining table window.

On Tuesday D and I went to Ludlow to visit the castle and have a quick look round the town centre which I'll write about in the next two posts.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first thanks).

First Herefordshire Visit 2023 - Part 1: Pudleston and St Peter's and the Herefordshire Oak

 

We finally made it back to Herefordshire last weekend.  The rain seemed to have stopped for a few days - it was cold but sunny and dry and I much prefer that weather to wet and mild!

Sunday was spent unpacking, making up beds and doing a click and collect at Morrisons in Leominster but Monday morning D and I went for a walk around Pudleston which is just a few miles from Hatfield.

The first picture of the year of the Herefordshire Oak.

Timothy back on his shelf and wearing his warmest jumper!

I parked in the Village Hall car park in Pudleston and we walked along the lanes to the church of St Peter.

A lovely natural Blackthorn Arch across the lane.

The pigs are still there or at least one of them - as usual it came grunting along to say "hello".

Red Dead Nettle in the churchyard attracting a lot of bees.

St Peter's, Pudleston.

Apart from the West Tower and parts of the chancel the church was rebuilt by Woodyer in the 19th century.  The tower was built c1200 and has a spire rising from a truncated pyramidal roof.

Primroses in the churchyard.

I left D sitting on a bench and popped into the church very briefly to get photos of items I had missed last time especially in the chancel area. The fittings and furnishings are by Woodyer.

Encaustic tiles 1856/57 in the chancel.

 

Stone reredos

East Window

If you want to see more photos of the church interior please see here St Peter's Pudleston

There are a couple of lovely ancient/veteran trees in the field next to the churchyard and while in this area we heard a woodpecker drumming.

The doorway in the West Tower is Norman.

There were a few bees in the churchyard but no butterflies.

We continued our walk and took the lane towards Bockleton.

Lesser Celandine, Dandelions and White Dead Nettle were flowering everywhere.

 

The Old Rectory in its own park built 1765 for the Rev John Wood (junior).

You see mistletoe growing on trees everywhere in Herefordshire.

And finally back at the car.

I did go a wander round the churchyard of St Leonard's Hatfield in the afternoon but I'll save that for another post.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FX330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference: 

Churches of Herefordshire and Their Treasures by John Leonard, Logaston Press (2000)

Pevesner Buildings of England Herefordshire by A Brookes and N Pevsner Yale University Press