A Walk Along Houghton Brook from Parkside to the Village Green

The star of this post is the grey wagtail.

Older male grey wagtail showing darker yellow on breast and white throat.  The tail was wagging so vigorously that it was hard to take a picture without it blurring, so here's a video as well.  Note that when the magpie calls in the background, the tail slows down and then freezes till he's sure he's not under threat.  The same happens on the second video of a different bird when crows are cawing.

Robins, wrens and blackbirds were all feeding in the stream as well.

The beautiful outlines of trees along Windsor Drive are best viewed from the other side of the football field to see them in all their grandeur. The field borders the stream and emerging from the hawthorn scrub this view is always awe-inspiring.

Here the banks will be enhanced by new planting in the spring and summer.

This section running through Parkside is opposite an area of Hawthorn scrub, the last refuge for wildlife driven away by the Woodside Link.

An informal crossing where the banks are lowest.  This area is also left undisturbed in case of flooding.  The undergrowth is already beginning to show green because of the mild weather.

Wow the catkins are early this year!

The twigs of the black poplar will soon be showing signs of colour as their red catkins come out.  The fence posts now show how high the fence will be and high-sided lorries will show above that, hiding half the tree. 

If spring does come early, don't miss it!