Less than two months since the first time we walked there, two return trips to Lyde Green Common, and what a transformation, from mud, bare trees and blackthorn to honeysuckle, flag irises and masses of hemlock water dropwort.
We walked further down the road this time, rather than squeeze through the gap in the hedge, and saw this sad sight. Poor magpie.
This time we followed the route of the 19th century railway for carrying coal from the pits east of Bristol to the docks - known locally as the Dramway - under the motorway and alongside a couple of fields at Henfield. I'd like to walk the length of it sometime, from Coalpit Heath to the River Avon.
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A roe deer - middle distance, by a clump of nettles ...
... in addition to which we also saw plenty of swallows zipping over hedges and a pair of buzzards spiralling, all of which were even less obliging than the deer. I did, however, pick up no less than seven beautiful buzzard feathers. What a great start of the season of falling feathers.
It was a very different walking experience ten days later when we set out again for Henfield. On the way to Lyde Green the skies emptied but cleared again the moment we arrived, and we set out over the fields full of gladness.
Not my first Meadow Brown this year, but the first one I've managed to photograph
No buzzard feathers this time; only the feathery remains of their meal - another poor magpie bites the dust.
When we were at the furthest point from my son's house, the clouds came rolling in and it started to rain. And thunder. Cwtch set off back towards the car and safety at a very smart pace indeed.
There even looked like there might be a teensy tornado at one point.
It was a shivery drive home but I'd had a lovely walk with my dog and my boy, even if we were all drenched, and I'd found a nice bit of hoggin too, so as not to forget.
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