Harmony With Nature

As a result of the geological structure of this area, a wonderful mixture of natural and man-made materials have traditionally been utilised for building work. The chalk bedrock is overlaid with deposits of clay and flint nodules. The clay has been used for hundreds of years to produce local bricks, varying in colour from deep reds to almost white.

The buildings in these pictures are from the picturesque village of Hambledon, situated between the towns of Marlow and Henley on Thames. The combination of flint nodules and the locally made bricks and clay tiles is typical of the area.

Morning Walk

During a walk in Adams Wood (requires Google Earth) this morning I came across 2 types of deer. The first was a solitary Muntjac Deer, who quickly became aware of my presence and fled. Then I came a cross a small group of either Roe or Fallow Deer (above). I couldn't tell the difference, so if anyone can tell me I would be grateful. The deer video can be seen here. (The file is approx 26Mb!)

Choirmaster

The dawn chorus here is incredible. Near the cottage is a large conifer and this Song Thrush sits at the top and leads the singing. I don't know of many better ways to wake up than to listen to this. Mind you, that opinion may change as the chorus starts up earlier each morning!

Breakfast Visitor

This cock pheasant is a regular visitor to the garden, picking up scraps that the other birds drop from the bird table and feeder. Hopefully he will stay in and around the garden and surrounding fields and not become the main course for somebody's dinner!

Welcome to the Chilterns

Hi,

I've recently moved in to the Chilterns and I am amazed at the beauty of the countryside around here.

I hope to be able to show you some of the fantastic wildlife and local architecture, as well as sharing experiences of a newcomer to this area.

For those who may not know, the Chilterns are a range of chalk hills to the north west of London, straddling the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.