Beautiful early morning walk in the sunshine this morning. The bitter cold wind was harsh at stoney cross aerodrome but it didn't seem to concern the resident shetland herd as they were snoozing in the sun. A herd of fallows were quietly grazing amongst the shelter of the gorse in the distant. The gorse seems to be multifunctional this time of year as I watched a redstart forage for the insects hiding amongst the thorny gorse and a pair of longtailed tits were obviously nesting under the protection of the prickly bush busying themselves dashing in and out with nesting materials which included moss and conveniently loose horse hair. All accompanied by the woodlark singing and a pair of buzzards calling and circling over head.
When my walk changed from open heath to enclosed woodland the temperature changed to a comfortable warmth once sheltered from the wind. A goshawk past over silently on the wing which was a delight and as I past through the reptile centre the adders were putting on a show in their suntrapped pod. When crossing the roman bridge heading home just out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the iridescent plumage of a kingfisher flying away. The woods seemed even more alive than usual with the chirping from a nest of blue tit chicks as the parents flew nonstop to provide food for their brood, woodpeckers were drumming and a distant cuckoo was calling. Just before reaching the road I was blessed with the sight of a roe deer serenely wandering between the glades of the trees nosing away the carpet of leaves to find the treasures that lay beneath.
#shetlandponies #fallowdeer #nestingbirds #springwalks #stoneycross #lovewhereyoulive #newforestnatureandnurture