Reading the notice board at the entrance to the Miner's Rest Nature Reserve, I noticed that they described the lower field as full of cowslips and orchids. Wandering down to it, I was surprised to see that this was indeed an accurate description. What a beautiful sight on a Spring morning, the almost red of the orchids contrasting sharply with the nodding yellow flowers of the cowslips. It has been an extraordinary year for the cowslips and in some places, fields and roadsides are absolutely covered with them.
Looking up from the flowers, I just caught sight of the behinds of half a dozen fallow deer retreating into the woods.
Yesterday, down by the river, I watched a pair of blackcaps in clear view and then later a garden warbler. At this time of year, I am accustomed to only hearing these birds sing from deep within foliage and it is a real pleasure to get a clear sight of them in the open.
My dog went chasing something through the woods and I managed to glimpse a dark slim creature running ahead of him. This was in the same area where I have several times now seen a creature which I cannot fully account for. Until I make a positive and definite identification, I shall not be making any claims, but my suspicion is that this is a colony of pine martens living in an area where they are not meant to exist. The area is ideal for them, with mixed woods and lots of small caves and caverns and without too much disturbance. One day I shall see one clearly for more than a couple of seconds, and, having seen martens before in Scotland, I shall know exactly what I have seen.
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