Blues song by Sonny Boy Williamson

Got up to the wood at 4.45 am already light well light ish. Topped up bird feeders and put out a little something for the foxes and buzzards.

First hour very slow, nothing about except one or two Hedge Sparrows. I was getting a bit bored so even took to photographing some of the grasses which were causing my eyes to itch.

Second hour a bit more going on, A Song Thrush on the path, no doubt looking for snails that had not made it back home in time.

Then a few Crows in and out helping themselves to the offerings placed out for the foxes. There were two mammals on view, a tiny little black creature darting in and out from the vegetation next to the path, I presumed it was a shrew but to far and too fast to be sure. Closer to me and under one of the bird feeders was a little brown job it was a vole with its blunt nose but again it was a bit quick so I could not ascertain its tail length ( short is bank vole, longer is field vole) I suspect it was a bank vole as it was not in a field.

The bird life picked up a bit, there are a pair of Linnets about and they paid a visit, the cock linnet obliged by sitting in the sunshine which at that time of day is not too harsh. There was also some woodpeckers, they are getting quite bold and a young one came to a tree right next to my truck but so close that I did not move my camera and photograph him as it would have scared him off. The adult lands on a tree a bit further off and is easy to photograph.

Crows were back and forth and a Magpie made a quick visit. Best of all was a Buzzard which flew in and landed and then saw me and took off immediately. Unfortunately at that point I had put my camera down to have a cup of coffee so no photos.  It was  one of the few periods when I did not have the camera in my hand and pointing in the right direction. Ah well hey ho.