Monthly Archives: January 2018

Could it be spring?

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In many ways hopefully not…but today was a little glimpse through the window of the recent gloomy conditions into what spring could be.

I was out with Crewe & Nantwich Conservation Volunteers today working on a task at Wybunbury Moss. We spent the day clearing scrub from one of the large fields around the outside of the Moss, helping to keep the meadow wet, and then burning the resulting brash. The wind was keen at times but the clouds broke to reveal both the sun and lovely blue skies.

I usually forget but today I remembered to take along some hotdogs for cooking on the fire – one of my favourite things to do!

Afterwards I went out for a pedal on my bike taking advantage of the lighter evening due to the clear skies and the slowly drawing out sunset time.

It’s not spring yet but today it felt very close – certainly much closer than it has recently.

A new find on a freezing day

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I went out for a short cycle this afternoon and it was absolutely freezing, despite the clear skies and bright sun. Despite living in the area for the best part of 40 years and cycling around it for more than 25 of them, I still keep finding new roads that I’ve never been down before. Today I found a single-track road and bridleway that connect two of my most frequently used routes – I need to start looking at maps more!

While I was out, I took this photo – I love the patterns in the mud made by the tractor tyres…

Looking forward to 2018

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Well, that’s 2017 gone and 2018 is here. As my post yesterday shows, I did quite a lot with my time in 2017 but reading the post I wrote on this day last year, there were two aims that I didn’t achieve – to do more photography and to take up mountain biking.

I did take quite a few photos last year but mostly on my phone and I didn’t really improve my photography skills. Mountain biking on the other hand, I didn’t do at all; I cycled 150 times over the course of the year but all were on my road or hybrid bikes. With North Wales and the Peak District on my doorstep, there are plenty of mountain biking opportunities close by – I just need to put the effort in the get out there.

As well as photography and mountain biking, I’ve got plenty of things planned for the coming year. I’ve got four individual weeks away in Poland, Harris and Lewis, Orkney and Sweden, and two weeks on RSPB Ramsey Island. I also expect to take some long weekends away, although the destinations aren’t confirmed yet.

I will also be doing some of my usual conservation activities including osprey and peregrine nest protection shifts, bird surveys for Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the British Trust for Ornithology, and the usual fortnightly tasks with Crewe & Nantwich Conservation Volunteers. I also want to do even more exercise than I did last year, more cycling, running and walking – there’s a new gym just round the corner from me, so I might try some other exercise too.

All then looks set for another busy year – I can’t wait! And I’ve already made a start with a morning cycle to blow away the New Year cobwebs.

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