Walking Home via Horton C.P.

I delivered the car for its annual MOT just after 9 am this morning and decided to walk home from Epsom via Horton Country Park. So with only my compact Canon S95 in my pocket I have put together a series of collages showing some of the sights throughout my two and a half hours leisurely homeward stroll.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of tarmac pavements behind I entered the park alongside Horton Park Farm where the noise of vehicles was quickly replaced by the calls of Wren, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Goldcrest and Crows. A few of the farm residents were enjoying the fresh green growth or just rooting around in the earth.

The nearby open pasture was a sea of white and yellow ... masses of Daisies and Buttercups plus the odd Magpie.

While listening to Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Great Tit and Robin my eyes turned to search out some of the much smaller critters hiding amongst the lush leafy wasteland close to the pathways including beetles, weevils, Wolf Spiders and plenty of Ladybirds hunting their favourite Aphid food.  

The sun and very recent rain has helped the wild flowers to show off all their varied colours and forms including Red Clover, Vetch, Field Speedwell, Cranesbill and Wild Strawberry. (No doubt the experts will let me know if any of the ID's in this post are incorrect.)

As I skirted the Golf Course the local Whitethroats joined in the late morning sing-song together with a few Greenfinch and Chaffinches. The bright violet-blue of the Ground-Ivy shone out from amongst the verdant green carpet around my feet. I did momentarily consider blowing on the Dandelion globe but there was a sufficient breeze for its seed dispersal to happen naturally ... like the millions of others floating around.

 

A slight detour took me across the open grass meadow (Lambert's Mead) to Meadow Pond where I disturbed a very disgruntled Coot but not a Grey Heron who surprisingly was totally unfazed when two dogs entered the water for a swim! I didn't find any Damselflies but a very tatty Comma rested in a nearby hedgerow. Leaving the Irises and the sound of metal thrashing that little white ball behind I finally exited via Church Wood to the squawking calls of several Parakeets and cooing Collared Doves. 

P.S. I won't mention what it finally cost me ( 2 new tyres etc) when I collected the car at 6 pm or the fact that I was stopped by the Police on my way home this evening (suggesting I had a wobbly rear wheel!) ... another visit to the service centre may well be on the cards very shortly!!   FAB.