Well Spring has been put on hold this month. Here we are at the end of February and everyone was looking forward to the warmer weather of Spring days and wild flowers coming into bloom. Already we have seen Snowdrops and Primroses, some Daffodils have also put their heads above the parapet but now we are hurling back into the depths of winter. The news papers always seem to give each weather event a name these days Hurricane Ethel or Storm Gilbert, this is called the ‘Beast from the East’. Some day soon we will have, Light showers Samira, or Mild frost Nigel….

I was up at our wood this week, collecting ‘last minute fire wood’…. my wood stores were full at the end of the summer but this winter has completely emptied them, so now it is hand to mouth wood sourcing. It still burns OK because I am only collecting dead stuff, but some of it is fairly rotten and so burns quite quickly and some is quite damp on the outside but it dries out fairly easilly and the inside is dry.

Nothing much is moving in our woods at the moment, some Bluebells have pushed their leaves a few centimeters above ground but nothing else is making any effort. Usually you see the buds on the Oak trees and Silver Birch starting to swell, but I have not noticed this. I did see a Robin with some feathers in its beak suggesting nest building but there are few signs of Spring about.

On my way home with a truck load of semi dry, semi rotten ‘fire’ wood I did see a Woodcock fly from the area of Ninewells wood, across the little road and into the local nature reserve of Cleddon Bog. Unfortunately Cleddon Bog is less bog and more regenerating woodland these days. This was the first time I have seen a woodcock in this vicinity but it is the right sort of habitat for them.

I went to the Michelin stared Walnut Tree restaurant/Pub a few weeks ago and had woodcock for my main course. I had never eaten it before, but I am always up for trying something new. It was OK, it had been prepared 3 ways, the breast was lightly roasted and was quite tender and good. Then there was the head and neck, this had been split longitudinally and looked quite odd, it was the long beak attached to a small round head and sported by a short stub of neck. Not a lot of meat on this morsel, it was more there for the visual effect. Finally there was some woodcock liver on toast. Very strong, I eat it, but I suspect lesser mortals might not have done.

So there we have it Woodcock at Ninewells wood and at the Walnut Tree Inn. You are more likely to see a Robin.

I am continuing to put food out for the birds every time I go to the woods which is usually 2 or 3 times a week and remain a little disapointed that I have only seen 4 different birds actually making use of the facility. They are in order of visiting frequency Robin, Magpie, Hedge Sparrow and Blackbird. The Crows show some interest and probably visit when I am not close by. Also I have noticed quite a lot of Fox poo in the area, even some on top of the logs which I call my ‘feeding station’.

I had also noticed some little piles of wood shavings in various places around Ninewells wood and wondered what they were for. Then I spotted a notice about a ‘Horse event’ I hoped this was not a euphemism for the local hunt, not that I am 100% against hunting. On balance I would probably favour the present option where foxes are not hunted and a scent trail is followed, though I suspect this is sometimes abused. I appreciate that the hunt is traditional and provides employment for quite a few people but I also feel it does reinforce the class divides. Hey ho enough of this I will end up upsetting both sides soon. Probably have done already.

Back to the ‘Horse event’  I discovered that it is a long distance endurance trek and various events take place all over the country, here is a link to their site Endurance UK. How clever to use wood shavings as markers, better than spraying paint on the trees which is the method sometimes used. The wood shavings will blow away and rot and after a few weeks all evidence will be gone.

So there we have an up date for February. tomorrow, the first day of March  we are promised snow and 2/3 days of snow so that could produce quite a layer especially as Ninewells is quite high up.