Early morning bonuses

You just canna whack early mornings, well... when the weather is good, I have to admit I really do like my bed but I also love those bright, cheery mornings when no one else is astir.

I've been enjoying one or two of those lately, the sheep are footy, dogs fresh before the heat gets up and you see all matter of things. First deer fawn of the season I saw the other morning. A Roe deer, quite common around these parts. The doe had fled the felled planting as I went out to gather, when returning two hours later with a flock of sheep infront of me it must have all been too much for the fawn and it banged up and ran like a startled rabbit, fortunately this time without dogs in hot pursuit - their minds were on greater things. A pleasure to see.

Fox cubs also seem to be in abundance and as they are all too used to the sound of the quad bike they can easily be studied, playing and enjoying the early morning sunshine.

Then of course there is the dawn chorus, it does pay to turn the engine of the bike off and take five. Sit and enjoy. The sounds of skylarks and snipe fill the air along with curlew and the occasional peewit if you're lucky.

All this and at times you could imagine you're the only person on the planet - sheer bliss.