Monkey puzzler

A baby Monkey Puzzle Tree looking a bit exposed after all it's neighbours have shed their leaves.
Apparently this conifer got it's name in England in the mid 19th century when someone remarked of a the then rare specimen 'It would puzzle a monkey to climb that'.

Woodpecker Hilton

The Greater Spotted Woodpecker remains elusive this year. They've been seen only fleetingly around the garden and once on the lamp post at the front. You can hear them in the woods though, drilling away with their pneumatic-like beaks. They've been here for a while too as this tree testifies. These woodpeckers will sometimes come back to breed in the same tree that they used the previous year, though they usually locate the new residence below the one already used. That's only if they aren't ousted by the local starlings, who sometimes move in after the hard work has been done. Woodpeckers often get a bad name for feeding on other birds chicks but their own eggs are not safe from smaller birds themselves. Sparrows and starlings will sometimes steal woodpecker eggs.

Night of the Demon

"It's in the trees... It's coming!"
Having just recently reread M.R.James' classic supernatural story Casting the Runes, I thought I'd also re-watch the film version this Halloween. Made in 1957, Night of the Demon takes the main plot elements from James' creepy tale, adds a few Hollywood staples (a smooth talking American scientist, complete with a chance of romance female sidekick) to deliver a sharply scripted British classic of the genre. Yes it does suffer slightly from a limited budget and perhaps it was a mistake to actually show the demon. Famously, director Jacques Tourneur wanted to show much less of the creature but was overruled by the producer. The original story had let the reader imagine the demon's aspect and looking at the last scene it is pretty clear that they should have done the same thing with the movie. The only other suspect scene has lead actor Dana Andrews wrestling in the dark with what looked like a stuffed leopard and for a moment there I was half expecting to find when the lights revealed all that he really had been rolling about with a stuffed leopard. Fortunately it was revealed to be a guardian demon in the rather smug form of a domestic black cat called Grimalkin. All this aside the film really does hit its mark. Genuine tension builds slowly as the viewer watches the cursed hero gradually become aware of his peril. Never has a scrap of paper with some runic symbols on it caused so much anxiety in horror film history.
You don't have to be hexed by a practitioner of the black arts to have a Final Destination moment though. My sister was out in the woods today looking for a dramatic flood or weather photograph when half a tree came down very close to her. Luckily she was stood under the other half.

Ancient trees: Sandsend

What a day for meeting some really ancient trees it was. You can't really feel the age of these trees in photographs in the same way that you do sat next to them. Historic as the castle was, it didn't really connect you to the past in any way. Sure you can read up on its history but with a tree you don't have to. Its history is all there on every twist of branch, scarred amputation and its questing height. And it's still alive with new history yet to bud.
Having contemplated trees, trains and ducks we returned to Sandsend for a quiet pub lunch and a drink. After that we visited Mulgrave Woods just as Mina and Lucy did in the early portion of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel Dracula. I believe this was the only day of the week during our short break that the wood was open to the public. A stream runs alongside the path back toward the sea. I don't really get to go that far into many woods as the paths are not always the best for exploring wheelchair users but in this case I did manage to forge a little way in at least. We turned around when we got to the logging buildings. Probably just as well. In previous years separate parties of family members have ventured too far in here and ended up quite lost. Harry was loving it of course. He also found himself a suitable stick.
We left the woods and were confronted with the best duck photo opportunity of the week. Harry ignored them as another Labrador approached. Both dogs were wary that the other coveted their stick too much. So what was the photo opportunity? I'll tell you. A great line of ducks stood along the grass verge looking down to the stream below. All posing. Some spreading their wings. I have no idea what they were doing but it looked great.But my camera battery was dead and Debbie had filled hers up with pictures of steam locomotives. Shame. Phil left to get some more vittles and stuff from the village shop. Debbie and I went and looked at the sea. Two riders made their way down to the beach. One of them was a young girl on a pony. The pony was not very happy at having to cross a very shallow stream that fed into the sea. They tried everything to try to get it across. Eventually it got the idea.
We loaded up and drove back to the Raithwaite Estate. I think Phil quite liked the electronic security gates.
That night was a really clear night. You could see all the stars arcing above us. I tried to read but zonked out on the first page. I woke up blinking and wondering where I was about an hour later. Sitting on the bed next to me was a black cat. Even though I was sleep befuddled my brain was still sharp as a razor. I reached out for it grunting a perspicacious, "Urr, cat?" But my hand just grasped thin air. It was a shadow. But it had looked just like a small black cat.

Autumn gold

This is the the large tree opposite our front lawn. It had a lot of its lower branches sawed off last winter by the land owner. During the spring and summer months the greenery helps to hide its scars but as you can see the green is turning brown and it will soon be standing naked in the winter light.

Spring resides

So spring has sprung and summer is supposedly here. The bluebells and the blossom have all done their thing, the trees are wearing their summer best and all those little chicks are going, going...gone.
Spring moved in with us this year. The roof is due for repair which means all the nesting birds took full advantage. I think there were four different families reared in the front roof and fascia boards. I could see their tails poking out from above my bedroom window and I could certainly hear them when the chicks hatched. Some moved into the back as well. One family managed to get into the walls via the roof. At one stage the Starling chicks started dropping down into our boiler cupboard. Fortunately each one was rescued and relocated in the garden where the parents continued to feed them. They were all fine. Starlings aren't really my favourite birds. They scoff all the fat balls before any of the smaller birds get a look in.

I'm pleased at all the different birds coming to the feeders and the garden this year. Blue tits, coal tits and great tits. Thrushes and blackbirds. Sparrows and dunnocks. Wood pigeons and collared doves. Nuthatches and chaffinches. Lovely robins and wrens by the dozen. That elusive greater spotted woodpecker. The sparrow hawk hasn't shown his beak yet; avian sighs of relief must abound. Our tawny owls seem to be absent at the moment. The bats are back this year. They are great at twilight if you can catch a glimpse. There are ducks in the back field (yay) and pheasants who haven't discovered Bjorn's beans yet. I always like seeing the horses too. Here is a gratuitous picture of a duck and my dad. This blog should always have a surplus of ducks.
The mice haven't returned yet and the rabbits have stayed in the back field. A rabbit dropped into our garden a couple of years ago. We couldn't catch it. It scoffed half the garden before it decided to go home. Phil hasn't had to wrestle any sheep out of Debbie's garden this year yet. The squirrels seem much reduced after last winter's chainsaw massacre of the trees and the orchard at the farmhouse across the road. The huge sycamore that dominates the neighborhood was also quite heavily cut back and probably was only saved because it is a protected tree.

Lots of folk are saying we are going to have a glorious summer this year. I hope they are right.