16th May. Paddling

A rather early start this morning. Firstly I was awoken at 3am by one of the cats torturing a young rabbit, at the bottom of the stairs, which later succumbed. Unfortunately it wasn't even big enough to fit in a pie! The mammal count now stands at 5 species!! A pre work amble, at 5.30, through Padley Gorge seemed a good idea earlier in the week, though in reality it was cold and a bit lifeless (much like the aforementioned Rabbit). Several Pied Fly's were singing with a handful of Redstarts thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately very little else was seen except for a female Stonechat by the entrance.