Elf

After a week of mainly gloomy days it was good to have better light today. 

I headed up and over to to the SW corner of the moor, which is the part I visit least. Skylark (extra) and Curlew were calling as I walked across.

I was exploring a damp, willowy patch when I stumbled across a nice colony of Scarlet Elf Cup, the first I’ve seen in a while. This one was doing a characterful impersonation of a Halloween pumpkin. 

The trees here give a bit of cover so it’s not unusual to bump into deer in this part of the moor. I tiptoed through and spied a group of four (extra).  The pussy willow catkins are freshly emerged (extra).

I returned along the far side of Shipley Glen and then back along the Bank.