Down Brockholes Way

chewed up tree branch

Out early this morning with bad weather forecast later in the day ,i parked up behind Preston crematorium and had not gone 50 yards before spotting chewed up tree branches a sure sign of roe deer activity ,my sudden movement caused a tawny owl to take up that in turn caused a sparrowhawk also to take to the wing.

Jew's ear fungi

Making my way down the track Jews ear fungi appeared as if by magic,mixed in with coral spot and king Alfred's cakes ,robins and wrens sang of my approach and a noisy jay sounded his displeasure about being disturbed .

fox track

badger toilet

male roe deer track

badger tracks

Once in to the mixed woodland a pathway of tracks emerged from male roe deer to fox and badger with the highlight being a recently used badger toilet .Overhead a buzzard cried out as he was being mobbed by a family of rooks his cries piercing the still air this in turn causing wood pigeons to flutter there clumsy flight through the tangled branches .

scarlet elf cup fungi

At the head of the secret path i found what i had been looking for as the woodland floor showed off its treasures in the form of scarlet elf cups a most wonderful coloured fungi that starts life as a tiny red blob but then opens out to a wonderful scarlet red colour.

dead mens fingers

At brockholes itself goldfinches greeted me as they flew past there golden flashes glinting in the sun,redwing and fieldfares also flew by in the lower woods dead mans finger fungi was present as well as sulphur tuft and coral spot fungi
as i made my weary way back to my car a sudden movement showed a family of roe deer making there way in to the woods just too far away to take a picture of and a sudden movement to my left saw a white ghostly barn owl glide in to the thickets ,we are so blessed with wildlife in this wonderful country i hope to share more with you soon   nature man Andy.