It’s good to get away from the news, dominated by Coronavirus, even though it’s a grey drizzly day. With all the restrictions that are being imposed daily it’s not clear how long we’ll be able to continue with these walks. Hopefully as nobody needs to be within two metres of each other it will meet the social distance criteria. Today I saw nobody at all whilst taking the usual walk up to Fishbourne meadows; they seem to be at the shops stocking up for self isolation.

Out on the harbour there’s evidence that the Earth still has the moon rotating around its despite the Pandemic; the tide is increasing after several days of very low tides when we go out at 8am. There’s plenty of Wigeon about amongst some swans and a few coots. In the outfall there’s a Cormorant diving, maybe the incoming tide is bringing in some fish. A bit further out are some Great Crested Grebes looking magnificent.
What is very noticeable now is that the hedgerows have become significantly more green, almost leafy now. Especially the Hawthorn bushes where the leaves are out and the buds of the blossom are starting to form, they’ll be out soon.
In the meadow need the seawall the Barn Owl was out quartering effortlessly then dropping on it’s prey. Presumably it got something as it stayed on the ground for a while before moving off to sit on a post then to the adjacent field when disturbed. Quite a treat to be able to watch it for so long.