Walk #30dayswild 6

I'm still taking part in the #30DaysWild project - celebrating the 'wildness' of our surroundings, whether up on the hills or wild and windy moors or along suburban streets or in my case today - on university campus grounds.

Youngest had been allocated a 'clear your room out and hand your keys back' slot by his university. We, the parents were not allowed to enter any buildings due to their CV19 restrictions, so we left Youngest to tidy and clear out the room and we set off for a walk.

The campus grounds has a circular route which is predominantly through mature woods - so despite the built up surrounds (the university) and the motorway  - we walked along well maintained paths beneath huge and stately trees.

We followed the path along a long man made pond - a natural drainage point, which had naturalised into a serpentine lake. At the far end were Mallard families, pootling round in the shallows for the ducklings or preening their feathers.

At the other end of the water, quietly pushing through the water lily leaves and 

Ranunculus flowers - a coot intent on finding something to eat.

And another quietly incubating the next generation on a floating raft nest.

The grounds, although still tidy were a little shaggy around edges,

and the birds were making the most of the abandoned playing fields.

Then, once we'd received the call from Youngest  saying he'd sorted out all he had to do,

 we returned to the car - filled to bursting point.

There is beauty in the most unexpected of places.

#30dayswild #staywild #walk1000miles