Thanks to Webby for stepping in with the last two months nature reports due to my family commitments and this month for a start we can take a better look at his “deadtreosour”.

Webby mentions it may be seen after a night at the pub yet fails to mention he is a teetotaller and when we last took him to the pub "HE" ended up with a sore head as one of the sound system speakers landed on him. (Yeah, and where were you're mates when you needed them? rolling on the floor laughing.)

Looking underneath we can see these inhabitants such as these woodlice, and this centipede. So things are not quite as dead as they may seem.

 

Old trees may seem half dead for some time before they actually fall and the apple tree in the front garden is a good example.

It has quite a few dead branches and it is completely hollow down its main trunk making a great home for bird nests.

This year it has been packed with moss and I wondered what bird had carried in so much nesting material. As James is about to find, out our assumption about birds was to prove a little off the mark.

Not a bird we find but a mother squirrel together with (we think) six babies.

 

Looking on from the safety of a nearby branch is mum.

As soon as we retired to a more comfortable distance for her, she was back looking after her young as any mum would be.

If you find the nest of any animal or bird please try not to disturb it. Most animals will regard you as a predator and are easily scared.

They may also fight to defend their young, and you may find yourself paying an unexpected visit to your local hospitals A & E dept.

Find a spot a comfortable distance away and with a little patience it is surprising what you can see (a pair of binoculars is very useful)

Another large nest on the farm is the Buzzards. She has extended an old crow’s nest.

I think is currently sitting on eggs so no pictures as we don’t want to disturb her this month.

We should get some opportunities next month.

 

While webby was out looking for a suitable position to photograph the Buzzards from without disturbing them, he was stood by a hedge on the far side of the middle meadow, when he saw a little movement out of the corner of his eye.

To his surprise he found that he had been surrounded by baby rabbits.

He had stood so still while contemplating where to best position himself to observe the Buzzard nest that the youg rabbits had not realised he was there.

As a result here is his version of Watership Down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More next month PHIL

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