We meet at last.

Sometimes the smell that comes from muck spreading can be a bit odiferous but whatever these farmers were spraying wasn't unpleasant at all. We first noticed them yesterday on our approach to Keepers Lock,  a massive amount of the black stuff piled up along the width of the field. I also heard the mistakable sound of Lapwings obviously enjoying the insects this muck attracted so this morning and before the predicted rain arrived, I went below the lock to see if they were still there. The farmers were once more out with the spreaders and the mound was noticeably smaller. Again hardly any smell so it must be well rotted stuff. 

Yesterday you couldn't see the hedge for manure.

Three lapwings were in evidence although the crows out numbered them by far.

On the way back to the Keepers lock a volunteer lockie was busy clearing the area of tin cans and other rubbish. He was annoyed at the amount of rubbish that accumulated on a daily basis and this only the start of Easter. Wait until the weekend when I expect he will be collecting a lot more.

I had a walk around the Nature reserve in the drizzle and saw the first blue bells in bloom. A Blue Tit was checking out a hole in a tree and a Tree Creeper was busy looking for something tasty. If only the rain had stayed away I could have stayed longer but shades of a defunct camera came to mind due to the rain when I was at Beale Park on the Thames and no way did I want that to happen to this camera.

It must have been mid afternoon, Ian was checking our expenditure on the shopping for the month and I was sorting photos when suddenly, a knock on the side and standing there Pip and Mick Nb Lillyanne. So at last we get to meet each other. Greetings and introductions over we spent the next couple of hours chatting away like long lost friends. Thanks to you both for a very entertaining afternoon. Look forward to resuming where we left off.