Monday 4th October 2021 🌫️☁️☁️☁️🌧️🌧️ ⛆⛆⛆⛆
Today was one of those days when we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves! When we pulled back our blinds our views were obscured by misty murk and we hadn't made any sort of plan for the day. However, yesterday John's phone screen died ⚰ and as the phone was only 11 months old we decided to try our luck and take it back to Argos which meant a trip into Poole. Unfortunately all they could offer was to send it to be repaired which could take up to 3 weeks so now we're just keeping everything crossed that we get it back before we leave the area.
After that we did a bit of shopping around Poole before returning to the van to finally complete The Lion King!
Now, before I tell you about our day I'll just tell you about our night! And we can do that because we were awake for most of it listening to the torrential rain and howling winds that buffeted us and flooded our awning! It absolutely pelted down for a good few hours, and when we got up in the morning it was to find muddy stains over the awning carpet and also tide lines on the car and caravan tyres. Luckily it never got deeper than a few inches and really we're not complaining cos no proper harm was done!
So after a bit of a late start we toddled of to the RSPB's site at nearby Arne again and braved the strong winds as we walked along the trails from where we managed to spot a huge group of Avocets and several Curlews 'fishing' on the sandbanks.
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| Even these chaps were getting their tail feathers ruffled! |
However, because it was so windy we soon took refuge in the huge hide that overlooks parts of Poole Harbour and once settled in their John set up his 'twitchers' scope through which we spotted a deer and a kestrel at a distance of about 350 yards
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| I didn't manage to catch the kestrel but my new Compact Canon camera with it's x80 zoom lens captured this lovely image - who needs fancy lenses😂 |
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| I've also been practising taking pics through the scope lens but I don't think I've quite perfected that yet! |
Wednesday 6th October 2021 ⛅⛅🌞🌞⛅🌞🌞
🎶Happy Birthday to me🎶 21 x 3 + a little bit 😂 🎶
So for my special day we decided to have a special outing and for that we chose the Coastal Path (and National Trust car park) that can be found high up above the very beautiful Ringstead Bay Beach. The path from there leads along part of the Jurassic Coast, and eventually on to Durdle Door, and right from the minute we parked our car the views were stunning.
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| Looking left towards Portland |
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| And right towards Weymouth |
The path we were following also led us past relics left behind from World War 2 in the form of a bunker that was part of a former radar station called RAF Ringstead.
Then came Burning Cliff which was so named after a landslip in 1826 which was caused by a chemical reaction due to the oil in the shale - the info boards told us the resulting fire smouldered for years.
Then onwards we went over gently undulating paths, but as we neared Durdle Door a huge amount of effort was required because the undulations in the path became deep and extremely steep in places.
Maybe the depths of this chasm was the place called 'Scratchy Bottom' - we were never quite sure!
But all the effort was well worth it! We sat and picnicked overlooking Durdle Door, and in the very warm sunshine I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather have been on my birthday🎂
Our walk back took us over even high ground with still more fantastic views, and when we got back to the car we got our little chairs out and sat sipping coffee while we watched the sun lowering over Chisel Beach.
Finally, and well before the sun had sunk beyond the horizon, we were homeward bound for a feast of Dorset Lamb along with a well earned drop of 🍷🍷- a perfect end to a lovely day!
Thursday 7th October 2021 🌫️☁️☁️☁️⛅☁☁☁
Another misty murky start today so we decided to get our chores done (shopping) and then go out after lunch to visit the National Trust's Kingston Lacey. We probably wouldn't normally have gone there because the admission price was quite steep at £18 each, but once again we were able to take advantage of our newly acquired National Trust membership and zoom past the entrance kiosk without having to cough up anything more😃.
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| Two Lions guarding the entrance to the House |
Kingston Lacy and it's estate along with Corfe Castle was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1982 following the death of it's previous owner Ralph Banks. Then between 1982 and 1985 huge restoration work took place before it was finally opened to the public in 1986.
Once in we could have gone into the house but the last entrance for that was at 2.45 so we hadn't really got time, therefore we settled for the lovely formal gardens and then we extended our walk by circumnavigating the sites perimeter.
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| At first glance we thought it was a rose garden at the front of the house but no, the blooms were dahlias |
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| A small part of the formal garden |
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| Part of the Acer Glade |
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| The Japanese Garden |
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| The Ceder Avenue |
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| Some of the Ruby Red Devon Cattle who have made their home here for many years. |
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| A massive spider in a tangle web |
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| And a very timid Roe Deer that I zoomed in on! |
Friday 8th October 2021 ☁☁🌞🌞🌞⛅⛅⛅
Today's destination was Weymouth mostly with the intention of visiting the RSPB's Radipole Lake and Lodmoor nature reserve which lie at either end of the town. However, during our visit we also planned to promenade along Weymouth's prom and also lunch on fish 🐟and chips 🐿 (couldn't find a chip emoji so a chipmunk had to do😂)
Now, in the RSPB book Radipole is made out to be the better of the two sites, but to be honest ,we thought it all looked a bit neglected with overgrown reed beds that obscured most of the views that might have shown any creatures on the water! Maybe it was done in the name of re-wilding but either way it didn't float our boat! However, if you look hard enough there's always something to see - John spotted a kingfisher but he was to quick for me to snap!
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| Additionally we spotted a Red Admiral sipping nectar |
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| A Cormorant drying his wings |
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| And a Gold Finch scoffing Aldder Berries for his lunch |
And as we went we passed by the free standing clock tower that has graced Weymouth's Esplanade since 1888 when it was erected to commemorate the Golden jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Then on reaching the lanes and lakes of Lodmoor there was much more to see!
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| Lodmoor's main lake |
We spotted lots of ducks geese and gulls, along with herons, egrets and lapwings, but our most rare sighting was a couple of Godwits grazing in the shallows
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| A Lapwing |
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| A Godwit |
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| And another Godwit (or is it the same one!) |
Saturday 9th October 2021 🌫️🌫️🌫️☁️🌞🌞🌞
Then eventually Swanage came into site and this marked our turning back point! However, our 7 mile walk really hadn't taken very long so as it was only 1ish we decided to extend our outing by going into the town of Swanage for our picnic lunch. But now it was a warm sunny Saturday afternoon, so as you would imagine, it was rammed and finding a 'quiet spot' proved to be a bit difficult. Our first attempt at Peveril Point was thwarted but then we noticed that there were a vast number of unoccupied benches on the pier so we headed for there, and for a nominal fee of £1.50 each (for the pleasure of entering the pier) we enjoyed our sarnies while taking in the sea air!
While we were there we also watched divers diving directly from the pier and as we exited it we learnt why! It seems there are a large number of wrecks in the vicinity some of which date as far back as the late 1800's.
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| Fly Agaric mushrooms or Amanita Muscaria |
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