Saturday, June 24, 2006

Clare Country Park

My Mum has gone through Chemo, Radiotherapy and an op at Christmas with no problem. She managed to fall over and do "something" so that walking has been very painful and for the past three weeks she has not been out. She's getting better and today we took her out for a ride.

I chose Clare Country as we could park up and she and Dad would have a nice view and yours truly could explore the park. Anyway she enjoyed it and even went for a brief hobble!

Anyway before picking them up I spotted this chap in the back garden.



On the way to pick the folks up I saw a Green Woody and on the way out of town we saw a juve Green Woody.

Clare Country Park is in the small Suffolk town of Clare. It was the home of the Clare family who built a Church (still standing and considered very fine - it's big) a Castle and an Abbey. The Abbey church never survived the reformation but one of its buildings was restored and is the Church of the reformed Abbey.




The Castle or what's left of it.



The town once had a railway, here is a loading crane.


The station and railway have long gone and the castle, grounds and railway line is now a country park.



There is a nature trail and signs indicating what you might see or not!



Alongside is the "new cut".





The bridge over the cut is very reliable for Grey Wagtail and today one was sitting on a wire singing.

There are also a couple of ponds with loads of Mallards, some of very dubious parentage but these look adorable.





Lots of flowers and insects. There were loads of Banded Demoiselle's.



Also loads of butterflies. I'm pretty sure one was a Wall but these look like Meadow Brown's to me although some confirmation would be nice!





In front of the car a demented Crow chased damselflies and Mallards! Until he came to Mum and her chick when he was given what for.

Oh and this fella!



Ok I won't pretend this place is Minsmere but it is a lovely patch for the general naturalist.

5 comments:

flicker said...

Lovely photos, looks like a great place, the closing of the railways way back when created some lovely nature walks, there's some round this way that are great. Looks like you had some sunshine too, lucky you. It's been grey all day here :( Glad your mum had a nice day.

Now your brown butterfly is very similar to the one I took the other day, yours is the same as the one I have in my book which says meadow brown. Mine has two spots on the top bit of the wing though, not just one. I wonder if it means male/female difference?

Boo said...

So glad you all had a nice day out, lovely pics.

Robbiegirl said...

Lovely! Robins are a fave of mine, and mallard chicks are just too cute for words.

nicola said...

Looks a lovely place to me, wish I knew more places like that in this area, without having a car..

The Quacks of Life said...

it is nice, never seen anyone with bins there

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