Apologies for the blurred image but I wanted to show you what greeted me yesterday as I drove up the ride. This grassy section is underneath some electric cables and is kept mown for easy access for the utility company. There were two roe deer (possibly male and female, as one was much bigger than the other). When they heard my car they stopped in their tracks and fixed their eyes on me. I stopped too and grabbed my camera and just managed to get this shot of the male. A nice start to my day which was going to be a busy but satisfying one. I wanted to finish the little log store extension on my shelter. I got busy straight away and this is how it looks.

Next job was to tidy up where the old shelter stood. There was a pile of logs covered with an old tarp. Some were too rotten and went to make a deadwood pile. It will be a home to a myriad of creatures and fungi. The best were sawn and stacked in my new store. Hard work but immensely satisfying.

The buzzards were calling and wheeling above me again. I tried to get some photos but the auto-focus on my camera wouldn’t lock onto them through the trees. I had a few other small jobs to do then broke for lunch. I sat by the bird feeders and enjoyed seeing all the small birds diving in and taking food. Two long-tailed tits climbed inside the squirrel-proof cage that holds some fat balls. They must be one of the cutest little birds we have. A robin perched patiently close by. They seem content to just take one or two seeds, then sit nearby and sing,

The trees still look quite stark but spring is well on it’s way.

Bluebells and wood anemones are emerging and in a few weeks will carpet the floor. Insects will emerge and transform my shelter into a mosquito hotel. I looked in the pond which was full of dead leaves. I was going to remove as much as possible but noticed they were homes to numerous small creatures. I couldn’t bring myself to do it so it will have to remain as a smelly rotting leaf pool. This last photo is wild garlic (also known as ramsons) and I love this plant. It’s just coming through but before long will be thick and lush and smelling like a woodland in spring should.