Never Starting Summer - Part 2

 It's getting damm near impossible at the moment to be able to write a blog about the great outdoors without mentioning the atrocious weather we're experiencing. Battling my way along the top of the seawall this morning it was a case of, close your eyes, re-open them again and what month is it - October? - nope, its mid-June and a week away from the Longest Day. I was struggling to make headway in a near gale-force W wind as overhead dark grey clouds sped by across the sky, wavelets scudded along the surface of the fleet and the reed beds waved violently to and fro. The two photos, above and below, illustrate the heaviness of the sky and how dull the light was. Just look at the sky racing towards me along the top of the seawall and how dark it looked across The Swale, more like dusk in winter than 10.00 in the morning in mid-summer.

It's been quite apparent for a few years now that the traditional four seasons of the British year don't seem to be happening anymore. We only seem to be getting a six month winter, with it's alternating mild and cold spells and then a six month early autumn. Perhaps I'm being a bit extreme but with this current grotty weather forecast to last into July surely autumn won't be far behind any warm and sunny spell that we get.

However, the Yellow Iris below were doing their best to brighten up one of the ditches with their own brand of sunshine.

Also, whilst walking along one of the now, near dry rills, I accidentally disturbed an Oystercatcher from it's nest and three eggs as seen below. They're a tad late, but what isn't this year, but hopefully three chicks will soon be joining all the other wader chicks that currently wandering around the reserve.

Driving back up the farm track after leaving the reserve, a pair of Pheasant were wandering about ahead of me and I was surprised to see a week old chick suddenly emerge from the long grass and join them. It disappeared as quick as it came and so I couldn't get a photo of it but hopefully it wasn't the only one of a brood. Predation and cold, wet vegetation take a heavy toll on game bird chicks while they're still at the fluffy stage.