Starting

Many walkers are familiar with the sudden appearance of woodcock as it flies off alarmed having left things very late - in fact until you're more or less on top of it. The pheasant tends to behave similarly. Woodcock have a special liking for the most sheltered area on Blacka near the south east facing wall. This is blessed with thick cover provided by swelling bilberry shrubs and well protected from the north and west by a useful mix of native trees and rhododendron. Many times when walking along the narrow path we've been startled as the bird raced off to a safer refuge.

This morning the starting creatures were somewhat larger. Two stags rose up fast as we unexpectedly appeared. They would maybe not have expected anyone to be walking on such a morning in driving rain - and we did cut short our visit. If I had been asked to say where deer would be in these conditions I might have suggested the thicker woodland lower down so this was a surprise. The wet shrubs in a rainstorm don't look the ideal place to tale a rest for such large animals howeve much protection they give for birds.

This is an interesting spot on Blacka for wildlife and is where I chose to site our little bird feeding station, dividing the treats along the top of the wall and the small hanging bird table. A poor and cold June has meant that the 'bird caff' has been well patronised into the summer.

Adult birds do of course welcome some help when there are other mouths to feed. This is also a good spot for hearing and seeing blackcap and other birds and birdsong generally has been excellent this year. Sometimes, especially in winter, there's evidence that fox and badger have been around in the night though they are unlikely to find much nutrition from what's fallen from the table.

It's possible that the poor summer has been to blame for the non appearance so far of the other residents seen in previous years: lizards and the vole who occasionally peeps out from holes in the wall hoping to scavenge some sunflower seed. The rhododendron behind the wall is still in flower and this is a chance to say again that it plays its part here not just provoding shelter for all who visit but also for giving us a cheery splash of colour. Each time I pass this way now I offer up a little prayer that the wildlife trust will do nothing here at all. Their unique talent for clumsy intervention threatens to bring on more depression than a week of heavy rain in June.