Topless trunk

Ashley seems to have let us off relatively lightly, with this old birch tree being the only casualty. Its trunk just wasn’t flexible enough to bend in the wind so it split, the top of the tree landing down the slope, giving a rhododendron a light prune on the way past.
Today turned out quite pleasant, with just a breeze to blow the cobwebs away. Bertie was on the scent of a deer and following the line of his sniffing nose I spotted a couple of does watching us pass below them. Then I spotted a kestrel managing to hang in the air, wings flapping rapidly, as it scanned the ground below for prey. Unsuccessful, it soon moved on to another patch to continue its search for breakfast.