Box Hill and roosting Parakeets

..... and yet another cloudy, grey day - when is it going to end? Tomorrow looks just as bad as today!

My daughter suggested we all went for a walk on Box Hill today which is what we did.

Box Hill is a massive chalk hill which was formed when the chalk eroded 35 million years ago. The chalk itself is said to be 75 million year's old.

Now prepositions are words that have great significance when related to the word "walk". A walk on box hill, was what I was expecting. A gentle amble across the top of the hill admiring the views shrouded in cloud.

However, there is a significant difference when the preposition up is used. No gentle amble in this context. So we started at the bottom and climbed, puffed and panted for 193 metres (634 feet) to the very top! Once there a visit to the Visitor Centre allowed breath and sanity to be regained before the descent. My knees will never be the same again.

I can honestly say I had some great cardiovascular exercise today. Again, not very good for taking pictures but managed some as you'll see below.

As you will see from the link, Box Hill attracts a great deal of wildlife and, in particular, many butterflies. So roll on the summer when the butterflies will be about and hopefully posing for pictures! You never know, we might get some sun!

Parakeets

Whilst enjoying a well earned cuppa having returned to base camp, I received a call from Corinna who alerted me to the fact of a Parakeet roost about 5 miles from where I live. Apparently 3,125 (!) had roosted there last night.

After arriving home and grabbing bins I headed for the destination where I was joined by another birder who had had the same information.

We both reckoned that there were in excess of 4,000 birds. Could this be the roost that has left Esher Rugby Club?

Back to the topic of Box Hill again.

Leaving the car park on the A24 we crossed the road and started our ascent; this was the easiest bit!


About a quarter of the way up, I decided a break for a picture was very necessary:

For a little while, the ground becomes more horizontal than vertical.

Nearly at the top. Beyond this the terrain becomes woody and, temporarily the view is lost


This gravestone can be found in the wooded area near the top

On the way down