Rooks nesting high in the trees alongside Donyatt Cutting in South Somerset. A sign of a good summer?

Following another two weeks of wet, windy and miserable weather yesterday was a sunny day – a chance to get out and about!  Back in March I was told the rooks were building their nests high in the trees, a harbinger of a good summer.  I decided on a walk through Donyatt Cutting on the old Taunton to Chard railway line to check out the rookery there.

The rookery at Donyatt Cutting in South Somerset

The rooks did indeed seem to have built their nests high despite the very frequent strong winds we have had so far this year.  After walking through the sheltered tree lined cutting, now a footpath and cycleway, I reached Donyatt Halt where I stopped for a rest on one of the convenient benches on the restored platform.  Enjoying the view over toward the village of Donyatt, I noticed the field on the bank of the River Isle was waterlogged – another consequence of the recent dismal weather.

The view on April 18th 2018  from Donyatt Halt toward the village of Donyatt in South Somerset.

After five months of gloomy weather I hope the folklore regarding the rooks is accurate.