It was a brilliantly sunny day, but still cold at 6 degrees.
The park lake had the usual Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, Mute Swans and Canada Geese, but also some Greylag Geese and a solitary Tufted Duck. Hundreds of Black-headed Gulls wheeled overhead.
Snowdrops and Crocuses were all out, with one or two very early Daffodils, and the buds were swelling on many of the trees. On a hill was an old observatory, now apparently closed up, but a sign on a bench memorialised Herbert H H Watson (1924-2005) “who loved this observatory and restored the telescope in his youth”.
Near the garden for the blind and disabled there were Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits, a Robin, a Nuthatch calling and a Tree Creeper, who gave us an excellent close view.
By the floral clock a stone quoted some lines by the poet Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) from “The Garden”
How well the skillful gard’ner drew
Of flowers and herbs this dial new;
Where from above the milder sun
Does through a fragrant zodiac run;
And, as it works, th’industrious bee
Computes its time as well as we.
How could such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckoned but with herbs and flowers!”
