Forest of Dean

Spent most of today in the Forest of Dean. Walked for miles, first in the Speech House woods and then in the Sculpture Trail. Failed to see any wild boar.
Everywhere you walk there is evidence of the presence of these creatures. They are incredible earth movers and wherever the ground is soft enough, they will have used their snouts to plough into it. Road and path side verges are particularly prone to their attentions. A close examination of one area revealed several large acorns and some sweet chestnuts, so, the motivation for their landscaping activities is very apparent. But although evidence for their abundant presence is everywhere to be seen, I have yet to set eyes on one. They are largely nocturnal and tend to lie up in hollows and areas of deep bracken  to avoid detection during daylight hours.
One thing I did see in the late afternoon sun was a flock of Crossbills. Known to frequent this area they were still a very pleasant surprise. The flock consisted of both males resplendent in their red plumage and rather more subtly coloured green females. I did not witness their unique form of feeding as these birds were more intent on flying down to a small pool to drink. They can be found breeding very early in the year and could well disperse into their pairs in the next few weeks. I hope to be back to witness their mating displays.