Predator

Always the problem with birds of prey: they don't stay around long enough to make it easy to know what you've seen. This one gave me only a second after being disturbed in the woods. The eyes are not like a sparrowhawk and it seemed too big even for a female. Immature birds around also add to the difficulty.

So any ideas welcome.

At Its Best

More pictures.....

Oh, Deer!

Can't imagine anything more depressing.

But of all those who come onto Blacka who would I expect to bring large plastic bags? Not walkers, not dog walkers, not bikers. But farmers and land managers? .... it's been known.

Farmland or Nature Reserve?

It can't be both. It really can't. Farmland in the first half of the last century supported much nature that it doesn't support any more. Farming is business before anything else today. No nature reserve should go in for farm management.

Galling

Tomatoes outside have had a good year as have most fruits; and the small and sweetest ones look much like these oak apples, though some are now ripe.

Oak apples have their own day on May 29th but it's got less to do with these than with politics and kings. Castleton's king parades on Oak Apple Day but does not usually open parliament. Perhaps he should.

Wrong Target

Instead of engaging in expensive projects funded with our money to spray bracken (and almost certainly making a mess in the process) why do the managers not maintain the access along the paths?  Here bracken does impinge on the convenience of the visitor. In previous years they have made some efforts to cut it back along rights of way. This year not.

Some pictures from today.

Clean Pair of Heels

Yesterday it was the fox who didn't want to be photographed.

Today the shy one was a roe deer.