A quiet Monday at Dodd, in fact a rather too quiet Monday at Dodd. The human visitors are probably building up their strength for yet another whirlwind bank holiday; hopefully the weather will remain on their side. The Ospreys meanwhile are also reserving their strength for the coming months of parenthood and probably making sure that the eggs are kept warm on a particularly chilly day, so the order of the day is stay close and don’t do very much. Good for the birds but not so interesting for the watchers.

There is, of course, the usual collection of birds around. The high flying Buzzard, the cocky colourful Jay, the Great Spotted Woodpecker at work in the valley below the Osprey nest. Very few chaffinches now making their songs heard, maybe they too are sitting quietly on nests. One song that is heard, sometimes seemingly constantly, is the trilling melodious song of the Garden Warbler. No not a Whitethroat, nor a Blackcap we actually had a telescope on this one today, sight and sound. Mid morning down on the marsh we are looking for the signs of Otters on the glassy water but find instead two Roe Deer munching away at the fresh herbage, they seem contented enough being well away from the A66 and the hazards that brings. Occasionally the peace of Dodd is broken by the sound of the RAF passing by, but even this seems to fit the scene. No fast supersonic jets today just a couple of trainers and later a rather majestic Hercules. Around the forest the regular visitor will see the agile Red Squirrels, often carrying a hazelnut from nearby feeders and if the visitor is lucky enough may even experience one of our rock climbing squirrels just below the upper viewpoint. Grey Squirrels, Black Squirrels eat your heart out! The Ospreys meanwhile continue to thrill and frustrate with brief glimpses and quick change overs. Special medals should be handed out to the four pm visitors, after waiting for two hours, the birds made the quickest change over in history, magical but.....

Thus a quiet day at Dodd comes to an end, no doubt to be followed by further quiet days, but what hope lies ahead, chicks maybe at five hundred yards?????????