We set off for the village this morning to collect the daily paper, taking the 'scenic' route through the forestry, along paths which always offer chances of some interesting sightings - and today was exceptionally good, starting with....
....two roe deer, this young buck in velvet and what was probably his mother. These may well be the same pair I saw a week ago higher up in the forestry, except that this time the buck gave me....
....a few precious moments in which to grab some shots of him.
Then, as I tried, unsuccessfully, to get a shot of a squirrel in Squirrel Alley I noticed....
....a couple of very small birds darting around in the upper branches of a nearby tree, and realised that they were....
....goldcrests, a tiny bird which we've heard often enough but not had a chance to snap some good shots of them. This was rectified magnificently by this individual who came....
....closer and closer, finally moving into a spot unobscured by vegetation where there was good light for the camera.
For me, encounters like this, and the satisfaction of coming home with some promising pictures to play with, are tremendously therapeutic, particularly on a dismal, rainy morning. Yet Mrs MW and I appeared to be the only ones wandering the paths through the forestry.
So, thank you to the two squirrels, the two roe deer, and the two goldcrests for the pleasure they have given me today.
Wonderful. We have a pair of Goldcrests most years in our larch trees, only noticable by their high pitched contact call. Very seldomly I see the bird itself. I have also noticed more and more Roe Deer in the south of England, often visible from duel carriageways in fields close to woodland. Occasionally they enter our paddock and strip the bark from our younger trees which is annoying but I always feel excited to see them. Every tree and plant seems to be heavy in bud or flower now, what a glorious spring we are having this year.
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of goldcrests in the forestry but, as you say, seeing them is another matter - so this is the first time I have a couple of good pictures of one. Now I need a picture of a firecrest.
DeleteSpring is only just arriving here but if everything else is as prolific as the chiffchaffs we should also have a great spring.