We're Back!

We arrived back in Braye this afternoon and the first job was to light the fire, have a cup of tea and then unload the car.

It was such a lovely afternoon we decided we'd be better off going for a walk in the sunshine whilst the house warmed up a little...

Our usual route through the local woods was of even more interest than usual as we've been away for a couple of months. The snowdrops looked just as they should - in a natural setting..

We were surprised to see Celandine out and in some cases, past their best..

These bright hazel catkins stood out against the muted shades of the tree branches...

Monsieur Bourreau has been at it again.. Just before we left he had started to clear another area of dense woodland. Today there was not a log out of place. This truly is the work of an expert, who has most likely been doing this job for many of his eighty plus years..Nobody stacks wood like Monsieur Bourreau!

In an untouched area a fallen tree had split in two. It was obvious from looking at it that the woodpecker had been at work. The centre of the log  had been hollowed out and very neatly too. This first photograph shows the two halves of the log, with the hollowed out centre...

Here you can see the "entrance" to the hollowed out section..

 And finallly a close up of the entrance..

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed the animal droppings on the second photo. So as a special treat, here's a close-up..

Any ideas, folks??