Out with 11 other Old Gits today, the last day of September but still in shorts in very nice sunshine thank you very much. A slight variation on the normal route, extending it slightly through Christon, Loxton and Webbington before picking up the Strawberry Line at Winscombe.
The morning meet
The Old Gits usual meeting place, the Borough Arms, Locking Road in Weston. Nice turn out today. Must be the weather.
The Parish Pump
Seen whilst riding through Christon, a very nice little village nestling on the eastern side of Loxton Hill. A plaque nearby said it was donated to the village in the mid 1990s.
VR Letter Box
I was told that the diversion was, "a bit lumpy". That was an understatement, some fairly decent climbs were on the new route. Going down a couple of the hills, there were a couple of Victorian letter boxes but the thought of stopping and climbing back to them outweighed the need for a photo. Luckily, turning a corner in Loxton, there was this one, right there at a place that was convenient.
Burnt out car
Stolen or an insurance fiddle? Who knows. This was out on the road to Puxton and the yellow tape on the vehicle indicated that the Police were aware of it.
The Pelaton heads for Puxton
Another journey
Not cycling related but a tenuous link to travelling. Seen near to Winscombe, these swallows gathering on the telephone lines are probably preparing to head off very soon to the south of Africa. They travel mainly during daylight, eating on the way and cover about 200 miles a day. I do wonder if the young ones, on their first trip ask their parents, "Are we there yet". Isn't nature amazing.
A good ride today in excellent conditions, made even better by the fact the cafe had a choice of 4 types of home made cake, not the usual 2. Clocked up just over 25 miles.
Lovely to see the swallows. Used to see hundreds when I was younger. This year I've seen about 4. Such a shame. Anyone know why they've declined?
ReplyDeleteThere is anecdotal evidence to suggest that swallow numbers are declining in many areas across the UK.
ReplyDeleteIt's believed that changes in their breeding grounds are responsible. As more farm buildings are converted and modernised, suitable nesting sites become scarcer. Swallows feed on flying insects, which are plentiful especially in wetland areas and pastures. As more grazing land is converted to arable land, there are fewer insects for them to eat and feed to their young.
As swallows do not go far from their nest to forage, nesting and feeding areas must always be close together. Dry weather in early summer may result in lack of mud for building and repairing their nests, and effectively prevents them from nesting, or forces them to move elsewhere.