A very grey morning, grey cloud cover all over, but where there were a few cracks, the paler white cloud above was visible!
A notable sighting this morning of an adult Rabbit, racing across the field, its white tail flipping up and down as it scooted around and into the long grass. Rabbits have become increasingly rare here and elsewhere predominantly through a combination of diseases. The effect has been a lack of tightly grazed grass in many places, leading to changes in habitats.
With Christmas coming we are preparing the next field ready for the cows to graze (not hanging tinsel and fairy lights) but checking the boundaries. Walking round the edge, I repaired a couple of patches of dry-stone wall which had been affected by Roe Deer bounding over knocking the top most stone off, the slot marks from their hooves plain to see in the mud.
The tell-tale signs of Badgers from the piles of badger poo in latrines pits, these creatures also go over the wall, as well as using the carefully positioned ‘hogget holes’ through the wall allowing them easy access making them less destructive clambering over.
A rustle in the Hawthorn hedgerow, made me look through binoculars. Searching, a dark thrush sized bird could be seen on the opposite side of the tree (aren’t they always), with patience as flash of pale cream was spotted just above the eye, followed by a dark red splodge as it turned – a Redwing. As I watched another 6 landed in the bushes allowing me to enjoy this winter visitor.
The almost white of the completely bare Elder branches standout starkly, the bark no longer covering this shrub. Perched on its branch a Chiffchaff, a small brown warbler visible for a moment before heading out of the wind and back into the Blackthorn scrub.
The dead round heads of Burdock still attached to the thick stemmed plants, the hooks ready to grab something as it passes.
The piping call of a Meadow Pipit as it took off from the tufts of Tor Grass heard and then seen.