Bicycle ride from Totton to Broadlands lake

Wednesday 17th August 2022.  A short pootle, much of it on cycle paths, with a short main road section. 8 miles in all.

A few photos of the quirky café, nestled next to the M27. It  caters for fisher folk, and has lots of rescue animals. We got soaked on the ride back, as the area saw its first real rain for weeks.

Mary Gilbert Walk from Welford Wharf

 

Tuesday 26th July

Suggested Welford walk to Marta. I drove over and on to Welford along A14. We parked near The Welford Wharf Inn, with its beer garden.

There is a board with several suggestions for walks. We decided on the Mary Gilbert Walk starting with the hillier part.

It was a bit tricky to work out the start at first. We enlisted the help of a passing couple and their dogs, and soon found the way. We passed a garden with phlox, where the two men told us they attract hummingbird hawk moths… As a side note, there were a couple of these one morning on our buddleia at home!

Then along the canal - pause-café, when Marta spotted a bullfinch. We saw several boats.

Dryad’s saddle

and later met the couple who’d given us advice earlier. 

Back to the wharf, via the marina,

and to the pub for lunch. Another place that insists on giving cups of tea in cardboard cups, though beer seems to come in glasses for outside. Good vegetarian sausage sandwich. 

Just over 5 miles.

Wakerley Woods to Spanhoe Lodge

 Monday 25th July

Collected Norma and Maureen and went to Wakerley Woods. Lots of fritillaries, and a few other butterflies - no reptiles, and hardly any people today. We walked over to Laxton and then along the road to Spanhoe Lodge for coffee and teacakes and a look at their outdoor pool - a bit wee. Chat re wasps and stuff. Saw and heard green woodpecker on the way back.

Back via slightly different route. A few drops of meagre rain.

Wakerley Woods and butterflies (Two trips)

On Tuesday 19th July, the day of the great heat, we went out early to look for butterflies.

We saw lots - silver-washed fritillaries, gatekeepers, ringlets, a purple emperor on the path, a marbled white. 

And a purple hairstreak - something I hadn’t heard of two years ago, and would probably have dismissed without a second glance as one of those little brownish flutterers. 

The heat was becoming excessive when we returned home by midday. 

Wednesday 20th July

Met Marta at Wakerley Woods. Saw a speckled wood while waiting. Then Marta spotted a lizard . Lots of silver-washed fritillaries again, gatekeepers, ringlets.

Later a marbled white. We chatted to a dog-walker who had never seen fritillaries before, and the two men (also with dogs) who had seen a purple emperor, some white admirals, and a slow worm. Also saw a painted lady and a marbled white. Manage to get slightly lost in the Town wood area.