Goose Eggs....

I love idioms...and the one about going on a wild goose chase is rather apt.  To cut a long story short, we were killing two birds with one stone, (no birds were harmed), when we set out to spend an hour or two in the sunshine!

The first 'birdie' was our need for a little exercise and getting Mr S out on his bike.  I use my bike most days for popping into 'town', that is what I call going into the centre of the smallest city in England!  The second 'birdie' was getting some fresh air and sunshine...and there were several more 'birdies' on our round trip of at least sixteen miles!

The first mile or so from home, involves some free wheeling down onto the Somerset Levels. Hedgerows with ferns but narrow roads with few passing points, mean keeping alert for the sound on an advancing car or tractor, then waiting at the passing point.  We were aiming for the Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve....just to see where it was, to see if there ANY WILD GEESE still around.  We had heard the bitterns at Shapwick Heath a couple of days previously, but not this time.  We did however see some Egrets and other birds...but no geese, but a field full of swans, which were equal distance apart.  I wonder what they were doing: grazing, or speed dating of swans ready for the first year of breeding, then a life time together.

The landscape of the levels is very appealing.  The fields are edged with deep ditches and areas of willow, birch and alder trees punctuate the sky, and even scappings where peat is being extracted give a dark chocolate contrast to the lush green of the fields.   In the distance, rolling hills  with areas of woodland frill the horizon.  The primroses and other spring meadow flowers are out in force, and in the fields cattle and sheep are grazing.  I spied a poor ewe on her back with all four legs in the air.  I wasn't willing just to cycle past, but also not confident enough to jump the electric fence and turn her over, so it was a bit of a detour to Godney to find someone who knew what to do.

On our cycle out towards the reserve we passed a farm with eggs at the gate and made a note to get some on the way back.  There were goose eggs for sale...50p each, we came back with a couple.  Just one is sufficient for a scrabbled egg lunch for two people!  I'm going to try and blow the second egg and decorate it for Easter.  I also now have a source for wonderful hens eggs of many different colours.

The wild geese will come back, and as we get to know the rhythm of the reserves, we shall find things of interest at each visit, whatever the season.  I feel so very fortunate that Mr S and I have have found such a lovely place to live.