Bits, Bats and Bad Memory

Sometimes my additions to my challenge list occur two or three a day on my normal routine. This last weekend was one of those times. I had to lead a couple of guided walks on Cuerden Valley Park and as I walked there I had my first sighting of tree-creeper for the year. On the walks I only had one more addition to my list. Butterbur was seen on the approach to the wooden bridge. Unfortunately for those on the walk, neither kingfisher nor goosander put up an appearance.

 


The following day I travelled to Southall in London for a staff meeting of A Rocha UK. As I walked down Avenue Road I remembered the London Plane tree not too far from the ARUK centre. It was great to meet with A Rocha colleagues old and new and a little sad to say au revoir to our CEO Mairi Johnstone who moves on to a fresh challenge. On the way to catch my train two days later, I heard the unmistakeable call of ring-necked parakeet. This was good for my biodiversity challenge and reminded me to confirm reports of one in my area for my Patchwork Challenge. During the next week I helped with outdoor education for a school doing river studies and saw my first damselfly nymph. On the Friday of that same week I went on a Health Walk training day and saw coltsfoot on Brockholes.  Why bad memory in this title? In my search for dipper a week or so ago, I had passed two elm trees and just outside my house I pass three poplars at least four times a day but had omitted them in my total. Familiarity really does breed contempt.