The old buzzard

A buzzard or two is a common sight as they drift across the fields.

Trees in the Park Fields

There are several trees scattered across the Park Fields. There is, of course, the oak we saw yesterday (and a couple more) and there are four magnificent lime trees like the one above. The London plane (left) was trained to provide perching places for hawks.

The Park Fields

I go under the stile out of the wood, the Boss goes over it, and we are into the Park fields. Luckily, those cows under the oak tree are in a different field from us. The Boss says they are OK but I'm not sure about cows.

Down on the farm

I don't know if it's me or the Boss who is such a creature of habit, but we have a regular walk when we are on the farm at Brockley. We go across the paddock and through the wood to the Park Fields. The wood is full of wild garlic which was in full bloom last weekend.

Silver birches

Another picture from Sutton Park.

I forgot

When we were away the other weekend I had several walks in Sutton Park. It's a bit different from Stanmer - it's huge with lots of heathland, woods and lakes.

Dogs not admitted

I wish the Boss would let me through that gate so I could help dig the vegetable garden. I'm very good at digging.

Bluebells I'll bring you

They are early this year.

Starry meadow

This bank on the Waterhall playing fields looks as though it's covered with stars.

Follow my leader

There seem to be more and more "professional" dog walkers around town. The council had intended bringing in a bye-law restricting the number of dogs walked by one person to no more than six at a time. Whether or not that is in force I have no idea. How many dogs here?

Contemplating...

Contemplating what, I wonder? At the dew pond at the top of the Wild Park.

Happiness

For some people, happiness is a hammock in the sun.

School holidays

A tree, a rope and a stout stick = fun! Good weather and school holidays mean Stanmer Woods are more crowded than usual.

High Park Farm

The farm buildings are at the top of the hill.

On High Park Farm

Not very far from yesterday's picture.

Down the Downs

To most people, the Downs mean the higher parts but there are valleys as well, and they can be peaceful, almost secret places.

Bluebell time

The spell of unseasonably warm weather at the end of last week and over the weekend brought the bluebells on in leaps and bounds.

Sheep and lambs

There do seem to be more than the usual number of sheep (and therefore lambs) around this year.

Some of the lambs just want to cuddle up to mum and have a snooze...

...while some are bold enough to wander off on their own.

Mother keeps a close watch on these two.

Danny House

This Elizabethan house dates from the early 16th century but was extended in the 1590s. It is now converted into retirement flats.

Looking down

The village of Clayton as seen from Jack and Jill windmills.

It's not just hikers

We had to walk across a field while the horse went by as I don't like big animals.

South Downs Way

This long distance footpath runs between Peterfield in Hampshire and Beachy Head in East Sussex, a distance of about 100 miles. We sometimes walk short stretches of it, like this one between Ditchling Beacon and the Clayton windmills. It is a very popular path and can get a bit crowded. When we were there the other day there were several groups of teenagers who were presumably doing their Duke of Edinburgh's Award. No sooner had one lot passed us round the bend than another appeared over the brow of the hill.

To the woods!

In Stanmer Park.

More flowers

Gorse is in bloom much of the year although often there are just a few flowers out. Just now it is in full flow up on the Roman Camp.

Cherry blossom in Stanmer Park

Elm flowers

The flowers of an elm tree in Withdean Park. I'm not sure quite what shade of green they are but it's bright.

Rose are red,

violets are blue - unless they happen to be white. Either way, there seem to be more of them around this year than there have been in the past.

Not felled, but pruned

If this beech tree is/was diseased, why has it not been felled? If it is not diseased, why has it been pruned so drastically?

It didn't explode

This tree was marked for felling more than a year ago and it has just been cut down.

Bluebells

Not there yet, but the leaves are coming up thick and fast - and one hardy plant is practically in bloom!