Bel's Wood

I usually see, or at least hear, deer when I am at Bel's Wood. I also see fresh prints on their regular routes. I have positioned the camera to try and capture them passing through. They cross the beck at one point but I have not yet been successful at capturing them leap across but will try again. I have seen two species of deer - Red Deer and Roe Deer. Both are considered to be native species in England now and are common in the Lake District. The Red are larger and both seem equally shy. Telling them apart is not that easy as they are not seen together and with some videos being at night you don't get the background for comparison. Also there are some young ones. I am fairly confident that the white bob tail is the Roe Deer while the Red Deer has a drop down fawn coloured tail that covers their white bottoms. Here are a selection of both - video and stills and some footprints. I am not 100% confident of the footprints as the underground condition makes a difference ie how so

I have continued to move the camera around to see which badger setts are active as I would aim to work around them when I put together a planting plan. As with everything it isn't that simple. Here are some shots collected recently which didn't quite find what I was looking for but are quite fun anyway! Mouse of some sort Squirrel Bunny investigating a badger sett Bumblebees in the willow tree A couple of deer passing through - worth waiting for the end Willow in full bloom A gorgeous nest * correction - it is not a nest but growth and tangled leaves and lichen Late sun on the moss

Each day I visit I see more signs of spring emerging even though the temperatures are still low when there is no direct sun. It was 4ºc at 5pm this evening and dropping. There has been no rain for a week.  These are the early signs of spring spotted so far :- Grey Willow - male catkins     Silver Birch budding Yew tree in flower     Hazel with catkins - male    Blackthorn buds    Honeysuckle leaves Snowdrops on the roadside Daffodils on the roadside Bee with full pollen sac on a very sunny day earlier in the week