Rec Life during Lockdown

April…

Confined to barracks though some of us might be, our little Rec is quietly getting on with things. Surrounded by increasingly luxuriant vegetation and cooling water, frogs, toads, newts, crows, moorhen, mallards, canada geese, woodpeckers, squirrels, foxes and many other local residents are doing what has to be done at this time of year. And doubtless enjoying a bit more peace and quiet than they’re used to.

Not everyone is able to leave home to enjoy a socially-distanced stroll, so two pictures taken by Alison might offer a welcome glimpse of your favourite little park. In the view of the pond (above), you can see one of our recently-resident Canada geese, and Alison reports that blue tits are nesting in her dad’s bird box (top right). With crows and woodpeckers making their presence known, ducks enjoying the barley boom and moorhen chicks calling in the bulrushes, the place is already buzzing.

The other photo shows blossom on one of the trees planted in the last two or three years to soften and brighten the wild area alongside Cannon Road. It worked!

May…

Canada geese and goslings in the pond. Shortly after this photo was taken, they decamped to Broomfield Park via Conway Rd, followed a few days later by their friends, the duck family…

June and July…

And the blossom from April now looks like this…

It was a genuine pleasure to be able to return to workdays in July (see separate report) and re-engage with each other, the Rec and its life.

Thanks to Alison, Sue and many others for the lovely pictures.