This mornings highlight was staring into the big distinctive face of a Fox near Saxon Quarr. Its eyes stared back at me from above its white snout, cheeks and throat which contrasted with its red fur. It had already been skulking close to the ground and then a chose to squeeze between the spaces between ground level scrub stems. It was no long before its long white tipped tail was seen again as it progressed through the meadow’s grassland.
Nearby I was drawn to the sound of a Green Woodpecker’s laughing call. So often seen on the ground this one was half way up a hedgerow Sycamore from where it soon fled.
Song Thrush songs were heard from several locations including the Wildlife Garden, Saxon Quarr, Taskers and possibly even the Small Copse. Since yesterday the performances have developed to include bleats, whoops, tweets, squawks and trills.
A pair of Robins chased each other through the leafless branches of the Thorns, which appeared to be playful at the time. Near the Large Copse a family of three to five Great Tits explored the branching lichen clad branches of Blackthorn.
Surprisingly two single Blackthorn flowers were open showing white eyelash like stamen whilst the neighbouring bushes were bare. This was on the South Field / Wildlife Garden Boundary. Amongst both Bramble and Thorn fresh leaved Honeysuckle decorated its scaffold.
In many places’ berries were in both fresh and gone over states. Sloes in one area looked like small deflated balloons dangling from the bushes. Cotoneaster, Rosehip and Haws were all evident.
Box held on to leaves it’s in the Large Copse. Whilst a collection of twigs and dry leaves were stuffed to the brim of one of Tawny Owl “chimney” nest boxes. Possibly the work of Grey Squirrels or Jackdaws.