Toadpath

A TOAD, this one quite a light olive colour, crosses the towpath. My brother-in-law's garden pond, in the next village, which is brim full thanks to recent rains, has a mass of frogspawn taking up almost a quarter of its surface. I'm jealous, our pond has missed out on spawn this year.

But there is a chance of a brood of Song Thrushes. We check out the pyracantha and find two old nests, exposed by recent pruning, and, up in the thicker part, a newly constructed nest. No mud lining. On the path beneath it, behind the greenhouse, we find a casualty, the remains of a Dunnock.

We see two Grey Partridges on the valley brassica field.

Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail;'richard@daelnet.co.uk'