Took a trip to the Forest today. Parking at Great Berry Quarry I took a look at the beaver enclosure. There were several obstructions on the Greathough Brook that I would have liked to think were work in progress by the beavers but were more likely just debris from the recent storms. There was extensive evidence of wild boar activity along the fence, I hadn't seem any evidence of boar in this area on previous visits.
Facing the actual stone quarry are what appear to bt overgrown colliary spoil tips although I can't identify a mine at that precise location. These were striking because of the harts tongue ferns growning. These were only on the spoil and nowhere else in the area in which I walked.
Moving on the the Nags Head reserve I was lucky enough to get a redwing posing for me. I had just seen a flock of brownish birds two big for sparrows and too small for thrushes fly across but this individual stayed on a branch giving me an excellent view without using the glasses. I wasn't so lucky with the flash of green that could only have been a woodpecker although I did hear at least two individuals calling in the woods.
A stay in the lower hide wasn't particularly rewarding apart from some glimpses of a tree creeper which never stayed still long enough to focus the binoculars.
Taking my usual walk today it was striking how the autumn colours had come on in the last few days. When the sun came out I really regretted not having the camera with me. There wasn't much to see in the way of variety or numbers of birds. A couple of probable skylarks put up on a cultivated field but the gem was naturally a red kite. Circling over the fields behind my house at tree top height it finally came over my head as I reached the edge of the field. Living where I do I suppose that I should be blasé about them by now but when one comes overhead there is no choice. I still just stop and say "wow!"
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