LOCKDOWN DAY 27 – COVID-19

I took the bike for a spin this morning and cycled to Lynn Point. This is not one of my favourite places, but its the closest I'm going to get, to being by the sea at the moment! Its several years since I have cycled and my goodness I found it hard work, which was fine, but the biggest issues was my seat felt like a brick wall. The seat is a good one, but I realised why it felt so uncomfortable...... as some of my regular readers will recall, a few years ago I unknowingly sat down on a wooden stump hidden in grass, on the sloped bank at Titchwell RSPB to photograph a bird. I will never forget the pain that caused to my coccyx bone and it has remained painful ever since. I stupidly didn't even think about that, when I spent money getting the bike serviced etc. I will have to pop into Surf55 to ask about an alternative seat.

It didn't take too long to get to Lynn Point. At Fisherfleet, I had the Peregrine sitting on the tower and hundreds of gulls in a feeding frenzy along with a few Mallards. I had a fairly decent bird list, but still no Swallows or Martins seen. I was hoping for Ring Ouzels in the horse meadows at the far end, but no luck with that. The best thing about being out this morning was the light – it was incredibly bright – everything looked magically lighter as if it had been Photoshopped! I presumed it was because of the lack of pollution with aircraft, but who knows!

I cycled all that way, but several people cruised past me in their cars to get out and walk their dogs! I could have done the same! If we had been allowed to drive for our daily exercise, Lynn Point would not have been my first port of call! All very frustrating! Bird of the morning was a beautiful Lesser Whitethroat which I heard and saw and several Whitethroats were calling, including one I watched for a while in a hawthorn bush at the very end of Lynn Point. I also heard Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and watched Linnets along the hedge lined track towards the horse meadows. Overhead I had a Kestrel hovering, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards and later another, which was being mobbed by a Carrion Crow. A Heron also flew over me towards West Lynn. In the estuary there were hundreds of Brent Geese along with Greylag Geese, 4 Avocets, 2 Redshanks, Shelducks, Mallards, Oystercatchers and Jackdaws. I laid the bike down in the grass and sat at the very end of Lynn Point for about half an hour, trying to pretend I was looking at waves crashing on a beach! I scanned hard to find a Wheatear, but no luck with that. I really like my new bike helmet, it acts as a good sunhat too!

I left here and cycled back via Lucy's and phoned her when I got to the car park, where she lives. We stood chatting outside in the car park at about 12 feet apart for about 10 minutes – it was lovely to see her. She said how much she misses going for a walk, but as a vulnerable adult no one is allowed out at the moment. I took a fairly decent picture of Lucy to text to Vivien, being as they have not seen each other, since before the start of all this lockdown. Cycled back home and arrived back by 2.45pm and duly collapsed on the sofa. Had an ice-cream and fruit and fell asleep. Woke up and planned what to cook for tea. Drifted off to sleep again and woke up at 10.10pm!!! No tea then! Goodnight!

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