One of the joys
of living off the beaten track in Devon is the
wildlife you see around and about.
As we have
recently moved the shop and are struggling to get time just to ourselves, Sandy
and I have been walking around the local lanes and woods.
At this time of
year, the undergrowth is low and the fields have just been worked so you get
the best chance to see wildlife. I try to take my camera with me, sometimes
with the long lens to take shots of butterflies and small flowers, and
sometimes the standard one for panoramic views. Occasionally you get the right
lens at the right time as the pictures of the hares taken about 300 yards from
where we live shows.
However, it didn’t take them long to realise they had been
seen.
A couple of days later, one the same track but the opposite
sides in the wood we managed to see a doe during our early morning walk.
The on the return journey we saw the buck with his antlers
just starting to grow. I read somewhere that the antlers on big stags can grow
an inch per day.
It really is a delight.
However, there is a downside. This fat grey squirrel had
just come from stealing next door’s chicken feed then raided our bird table. If
we could lose grey squirrels, rabbits, moles and magpies my garden would be
idyllic.
