Aren’t they sweet?
I’ve had a lovely few weeks painting windows and watching the wildlife in the grounds and thought perhaps I could share some of that pleasure to brighten someone’s day.

I caught sight of these whilst coming along one of the wing corridors – ever so close to the house, nibbling around one of the variegated holly trees.

This is a print from one of our badgers, they breed between November and March. Not sure quite how many young we have this year but saw a parents prints with at least two little ones tagging along.
On this picture the parents tracks are on the left and the smaller tracks to the right belong to its cubs.

This was the deer unhappy at being disturbed when I brought my son home from school last week.

The last of those pictures is after one of the deer bounded across the main and top lawns, leaping the dry stone wall into one of my fields and turned to wait for its companion. At that point I thought it kindest to go indoors and let them reunite in peace!

This last pair of photos are courtesy of Adam, we were working in the walled garden yesterday and he was desperate for me and his dad to treck up to the top field to see what he’d found. His poor father was on his knees after hauling dozens of paving slabs half an acre, amongst other things, so Adam took my phone. We think the tracks belong to a weasel, ferret or stoat and the circular hole in the snow next to the wall is the top of the tunnel it made in order to access its nest in the bottom of the dry stone wall.

Well, that’s all for today – trying to decide whether to take Scout my labradoodle with me whilst I paint today or leave him drooling over the squirrels busy raiding my bird feeder! Had a woodpecker on it two weeks ago but only got a blurred picture of it. If it comes back and I catch it, I’ll share.