The Early Birds

Some mornings are certainly better than others and the last two have been pretty bleak with a bitter east wind that's had us hurrying back for the porridge.

But the compensation comes eventually and this morning was both beautiful and eventful. Hard frost on the dead bracken followed by bright sunlight and calm air, bringing out five stags the largest being, I think, a ten pointer. We sat down in the bracken for five minutes watching them. They may be losing their antlers soon. The biggest stags lose theirs first. Another point of interest was one of the smaller stags which I realised I had seen several times before: he has one antler, his left one, while the right side has a black line above the eye, perhaps a scar from some fight.

Later as we came up the hill we were ambushed by a young black labrador.


She and Bertie romped and chased oblivious of the presence of the deer who only made off after loud shouts from the owner wondering where her charge had gone. Another grand sight of the steam rising from their backs in the early sun.



Eventually we made for the bird feeding station rather later than usual. The birds had grown impatient and came 300 yards out onto the moor to hurry us along as a blackbird began tuning up in the woods.