Being passionate about art, we had a delightful mooch around Messums Gallery in Tisbury. Tisbury is a lovely old village west of Salisbury - lots of thatched cottages, old barns and ancient farmhouses. With the Nadder running through it (a chalk stream that eventually meets the Avon at Salisbury), it also makes for a delightful walking spot.
Our walk took us along the river and smaller streams, over the railway line, and skirting the lower reaches of an Iron Age hillfort. Although early spring, it definitely feels like the flowers are making up for lost time, with the thick bright green carpet of bluebell shoots, and clumps of primroses in flower accompanying us along the way.
The following day, we headed off to meet friends for a day trip to Brownsea Island in the middle of Poole Harbour. Whereas it had been dull, grey and occasionally drizzly the day before, here the clouds were threatening to part and reveal that long-lost light source, the sun.
For those that haven't been to the island, although it is a bit of a faff (drive to Sandbanks, pay for parking, pay for the ferry, pay for entry to the island unless a National Trust member), it's more than worth it for the beautiful views and abundant wildlife. It's renowned for its red squirrels, and also as the site of the first Scout Camp set up by Baden Powell. I remember it well from my guiding days, but the copious clumps of rhododendrons are long gone, as the Trust embarked on a programme of habitat restoration. It's a mixture of pine woodland, ancient woodland, wetland, heathland and shingle coast. In particular, part of the island is managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, where you have access to numerous hides bordering a large lagoon. Here we saw shelduck, flocks of dunlin swooping and shimmering around, black-tailed godwit, spoonbill feeding, the odd sandwich tern, and lots and lots of black-headed gulls setting up territories as the breeding season was now underway. Often overlooked, i found their behavious fascinating to watch so close up.
We did spy a few red squirrels as well (including one notable individual obviously not very well and hiding behind a tree right by the footpath), and enjoyed the sun down by on the beach amidst the pottery sherds from 19th century pottery kilns. A wonderful day.
And this weekend we've managed a couple of walks in amongst the deluges, including a trip down to the Keyhaven marshes near Lymington on the New Forest coast. We hadn't realised that the Hurst Castle fort was open, so the walk along the shingle spit was even more worth it - so much to see! I had obviously forgotten my binoculars, but we did squint to see shelduck, red shank, oyster catcher, some lingering brent geese (nearly off to their breeding grounds) and feeding little egrets.
This morning we walked into Winchester via St Catherine's Hill and the watermeadows, making the most of the sun, albeit dodging extremely muddy paths. Tomorrow promises monsoon-like conditions, which will no doubt result in cabin fever.
Never mind, off to Cornwall and Devon for a few days now
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