There’s time today for a longer walk, the Downs are beckoning so it’s off to the Trundle for the eight mile walk through West Dean over to Hylters Lane and back via Singleton. The wind hasn’t moderated much
and it’s still from the north so it’s bracing to say the least but it’s dry with a few sunny spells.
The Trundle and anywhere near the car parks are busy, it is Sunday after all; however it only takes a short walk to get away from the crowds and on the north side of the Midhurst road it’s deserted. Walking down to West Dean the approach of Autumn is evident with lots of acorns on the ground and leaves that are perceptibly changing colour.
What’s also noticeable is the number of flowers about; the rains have performed their magic and splashes of colour in many places. Naturally there’s plenty of ragwort, groundsel and dead
nettles but there are several clumps of White Campion and Meadow Cranesbill that have revived themselves for a bit longer. Amongst the stubble in the fields and along the paths Common Toadflax is in abundance, there’s even a bit of Purple Toadflax to be seen here and there.
Songbirds are about but relatively quiet, what is pleasing to see is the number of Buzzards. There are many, often in pairs, wheeling about and calling to one another. I’d have thought that there would be plenty of prey about but didn’t see any hunting, perhaps it was the wrong time of day.
The West Dean Estate has been busy rearing pheasants, clearly their shoots are going ahead despite Covid 19. Cover crops line every other field and pegs are out ready for the guns. It’s a time of the year to keep dogs on a lead. They’ve also been busy clearing woodland as can be seen from this stack of timber maturing, not cut recently though.