Spring is truly here, for the second time out yesterday in the forest the wild garlic is starting to bloom, filling the space with pungent scent. Nature/ outdoors/ seasons the main topics in this quick start the week post. 21st March marks the official start of Spring sitting at the quarterly seasonal equinoxes. Havent seen any mad march hares out in the fields yet, their boxing always gave a great treat when living in the Royal Woburn countryside. Harbingers of spring are like old friends coming back to old Blighty to celebrate the warm half of the year with us. We are so lucky on this little island welcoming bird migrants or passerines from all directions. African Chiff Chaff warblers are already finding their homes in Bournemouth, around where I live and their metronomic “chiff -chaff, chiff -chaff” song is filled with announcement as they look for mates. Will be passing the northern end of the Bourne Valley on my daily rides where the sight of new pairs of Stonechats is always a thrill, they also have a memorable clink clink song that reminds us of the sound of stones being knocked together- a great way to explain the sound and name to kids. Other things that I look for eagerly now are moths, after years of birdwatching, becoming interested in moths and butterflies comes naturally to many, and the multitude of moths- lepidopterans compared to butterflies is an amazement providing years of interest. Will be making this years trapping a regular event, theres small groups of moth trappers that share their discoveries online with photos, dont worry they are all set free in the morning after collecting and recognition, super naturalists hobby. So Im big on the nature, the rhythm of the seasons and watching the changes. Think most people love this time of year, so promising and full of potential.
Yesterday- Sunday 22 March. Back in the Rushmore Estate, sometimes called Chase Woods and navigable by bridleways. Its near Sixpenny Handley with last years post here and such a fantastic place to immerse yourself in. Id been coaching a youngster first over a 3.5 km Orange course, who then went on to complete another course successfully which was rewarding. My own race was extremely fast, and would have been top 3 if I hadnt have missed out control 7! when decision making at speed can sometimes fixate on the wrong thing, simple answer to why I ended up at the bottom of the results, left 6 and ran direct to 8.. Anyway from 66 runners heres my standing.
| 1st | Grey Grierson | DEVON | M18 | 51:44 |
| 2nd | Rob Parkinson | DEVON | M55 | 55:00 |
| m7 | Jason Falconer | WSX | M40 | 55:00 |
On a more positive note, happy to have been awarded the WSX Club Chairmans Trophy for 2015, for promotion of Orienteering in the area.
Ive lost a lot of typing off this post, something about ‘connectivity’, so signing off now, outdoors calling and work. Heres to a great 6 months in the centre of the year. If youre interested in daily activities, theres lots to get involved with.
follow me on the Twitter which is where I communicate live about track cycling/ Orienteering offers this season.
@jasonmfalconer