A quiet day in the wood. And I mean that literally. There are road repairs going on to the west beyond the pond and the traffic has been diverted. With no passing cars and no fishermen (presumably at home for the holidays) there was just us and the usual woodland inhabitants. Standing still on the top ride in the space of just a couple of minutes I saw a dozen tits feeding in the top of a birch, a buzzard circling overhead and could hear a woodpecker drumming on the golf course and a tawny owl hooting and hunting towards the north.
So just a usual day checking out that all is ok at Old Copse. We loaded a van full of firewood, squelching through the mud to the bottom gate. We mended some tree guards and staked some young trees growing in the wrong direction. We checked out the wild daffodils. There are now six clumps growing up on the slope towards the seat. There are definitely some new arrivals since last year, possibly helped by all the rain.
Up in the top wood we discovered this new hole - which I think is fox, rather than badger. The track to it is new, and you can see where he has been crushing the bluebell bulbs as he goes to and fro.
And as it's Easter there has to be chocolate. These bunnies came to the wood with us.
So just a usual day checking out that all is ok at Old Copse. We loaded a van full of firewood, squelching through the mud to the bottom gate. We mended some tree guards and staked some young trees growing in the wrong direction. We checked out the wild daffodils. There are now six clumps growing up on the slope towards the seat. There are definitely some new arrivals since last year, possibly helped by all the rain.
Up in the top wood we discovered this new hole - which I think is fox, rather than badger. The track to it is new, and you can see where he has been crushing the bluebell bulbs as he goes to and fro.
And as it's Easter there has to be chocolate. These bunnies came to the wood with us.
