April Visit to Herefordshire - Part 1: Hatfield and Leominster

 

We returned to Herefordshire last week for four nights as the weather forecast finally seemed a little better!

I remembered Timothy this time!  Here he is on the journey constantly asking "Are we there yet?" !!!!

We arrived on the Wednesday to a power cut! Luckily it didn't last very long.  After unpacking and lunch we did the usual click and collect at Morrisons.

We didn't go anywhere Thursday - to be honest I am still sleeping badly and if I have a particularly bad night I feel too tired to drive. B wanted to spend the day gardening and D was happy to work on his OU studies.

I took a few photos of the 

Herefordshire Oak

The Constable Tree and the

Octopus Tree

Hopefully, next month we shall start seeing leaves appearing.

B has put up the Tree Creeper nest box we bought although it may be too late for this year but I believe they have two broods a year so perhaps we will be lucky.  We often see Tree Creepers in the trees at the rear of the caravan where we have located the nest box.

Rosemary is growing well as are the mini Alliums.

Flowering Currant in the Walled Garden.  I wandered up there to see if they have information on this year's NGS Open Days in the little information room - no brochures to be seen there yet.

I went out with the bat detector most evenings and picked up calls on the detector and saw bats each time.  Some were emerging at sunset much earlier than the ones we saw last year so I suspect there may be several species on site not just the Natterer bats.  I also saw my first Small Tortoiseshell and Orange Tip of the year and there were several sightings of a pair of Red Kites over the caravan site. D could hear a Tawny Owl calling when we were out looking for bats. 

On Friday we popped into Leominster town centre for a few items.

I think I've said this before but whenever I see this shop I think of the Merrily Watkins' books by Phil Rickman. I am sure her daughter Jane would visit this shop :)

There was a market in the square and I quite liked some of these stone items.

B saw this museum featured briefly in a tv programme recently.  I think it is open most days so when we have more time we will visit.

D bought some asparagus to have with tea one night from this market stall.

No visit to Leominster is complete without a quick look in Rossiters bookshop.  I resisted temptation and didn't buy a book for myself but I did buy a signed copy of Crypt by Professor Alice Roberts for D's birthday.

After lunch D and I went to the local churchyard to look for primroses but I will write about that in the next post.

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 or mine or my son's 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).