It's was 9am, I had just parked my car, got out and looked about. What were those birds in the trees. Woodpigeons - no, starlings - no.
They have those strange crests - teenage quiffs as someone told me. They were waxwings, high in the trees, surveying for food. One flew off and the rest followed because there's only a little berry food left in the hedgerows.
They had moved on very quickly, not perching in Villa Wood or even around the hall.
But it was still worth that moment of nature's magic - so personal to me. Another one of those nature's moments that makes life so worthwhile.
Photo from Bob Evans
.............
Earlier someone had reported a muntjac, mooching in the horse-grazng field, before it walked onto the farm track and trotted towards Villa wood.
A little egret was seen by the brook along the bridlepath and a great spotted woodpecker was on a fence post along the track.
These sightings could have been seen by anyone, by just looking about you while walking the site.
Nature is wonderful.