Mid week wandering

I've been working late, and when I did get home this evening I had to wait around for someone from the Office of National statistics. He was half an hour late and implied that as a Government employee he had the right to enter my home and ask me all about my life. He didn't get past the front door.

It was getting late and heavy clouds were threatening rain, so I gave up on the idea of a cycle and took Fly out for a good wander through the woods.

A happy dog scenting the air.

Coastkid was up around these woods recently and when I read his post I was impressed with how dry the wood was this year. Normally taking Fly up there ends in a very muddy wee dog. This doesn't bother me, or Fly either, but El often has something to say about it.

The trails were bone dry underfoot and starting to get overgrown with the thick green vegetation of the long awaited summer. The woods here are carefully farmed to encourage native plants and wildlife by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (I'm a member).

In the glades between the felled trees the sun reaches the woodland floor and ground plants abound. The air was full of the smell of wild garlic, or ransoms, and pheasants were picking through the wood piles along the hedges. 

The mix of trees and open spaces is also ideal for birdlife. Throughout the canopy was full of the sound of the  birds singing, the occasional alarm call and the clatter of wood pigeons.

Along the old dam road I could see a buzzard gliding slowly over the dry reservoir before it disappeared into the oak trees on the hillside.

The crumbling dam walls leading down to the burn. There were deer tracks criss-crossing the mud alongside the water where they stop to drink.
No cycling tonight but it was a good walk in a beautiful place.