Saturday 1st May and still we are getting cold weather, it was a hard frost as usual but this time a blanket of fog over the valley. I decided to head for Okeford hill when usually  I would hope to be above it but this time I was hoping it was on the hills as well. I’d been to take images of the Bluebells woods a couple of days before and they are looking spectacular at the moment, what I was hoping for was mist through the trees with the Bluebells. It wasn’t to be by the time I’d turned up the hill it was clearing.

I was up there around dawn leaving home just after 5am, as I was walking to the woods the sunrise was amazing the sun was red with a few clouds, I was glad I got up early to see this!

I headed over the fields to the woods, I did manage to find a little mist in the hollows but not as I hoped but it didn’t really matter as the birds were singing, there were two Roe deer in the field and when I was in the Bluebells there was one barking very loudly and quite spooky, it’s usually an alert for danger. Tilly was unsure what it was.

After I spent sometime taking the Bluebells we head off for a walk round the woods, the dawn chorus was well up and running and then I heard what I thought was a Cuc! It took a while before I eventually heard a proper Cuckoo, I think it was just warming up! So lovely to hear, I did a recording on my phone I always forget about my video with sound on my camera, perhaps next time. The Cuckoo stayed in the Fir trees for sometime, I got a glimpse and such a nice sound for the 1st May!

Cuckoo…Turn up the volume!

It was then time to head home for some breakfast, crossing the fields at the top promising myself I must bring my large lens, lots of birds including Linnets and Yellowhammers. Mr Hosford, the farmer has made wildlife areas all round the fields and I’m sure it’s helping with plenty of Cowslips showing at the moment and promising lots more as the season progresses..

Another great morning!