It snowed here yesterday morning, for the first time in a little over 8 months (since the 10th February 2012 to be exact).

Not enough to settle of course, but pretty stonking flakes for a few minutes - proper snow, not sleet.

I took a little walk around what I refer to as my "Enchanted Forest"  (hundreds of acres of scots pine and birch a few miles from our gaff) to look for 'shrooms in the sunshine that followed the blustery wintery shower.

No particularly interesting fungi (a few sulphur tuft, the odd fly agaric but that was about it), but I was fortunate enough to bump into a late (very late) migrant hawker dragonfly over a hidden pond in a clearing in the wood.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing to be honest - there I was, wrapped up against a Siberian wind (albeit in the sunshine by then), in a rugby beanie - and down from the surrounding pines, buzzed a big male migrant hawker dragonfly. Even though I very much suspect he was on his last legs (I've never seen a large dragonfly after snow in a year), he did look rather resplendent in his blue and green garb.

I made a mental note of this enchanted pond (well off the beaten path - something that I very much appreciate) and will return to see what other wildlife this hidden corner of the wood brings.

On my way back to the LAM (Little Agricultural Machine (my car)), I happened across the head (and a few flight feathers) of a female Great spotted woodpecker.

There's pretty well only ONE thing that could do that to a woodpecker round 'ere - and that would be a big female sparrowhawk (her smaller male companion would be too small to take out a determined and armed woodpecker).

I suspect the hawk killed the woodpecker and a fox played with the carcass.

I've found plenty of dead birds in my countryside wanderings (including woodpeckers) but until yesterday I'd never found a woodpecker's head. Bit macabre really.... Not very "enchanting" at all - bit too "Blair Witchy" for me, especially with the weird wicker figures lashed to the occasional pine in this particular dark part of the forest.....

The clocks went back last night (I abhor this annual tradition) - so I waited half the morning it seemed, for the shops to open so I could line the supermarkets purse with my hard-earned moolah again and make sure I have food for the week...***

Both male and female peregrine were in situ on the decrepit office block a mile from the house - I have no idea where they'll bugger off to when they eventually pull that "carbuncle" down.

***My wife left to go and stay with her parents for a few days at 10am (in the midlands) so I took a long drive through my favourite not-so-local woods and forests to inject a little colour into the drab day.

I pulled up to a junction in the LAM (at Ufton Nervet if anyone knows it) and once again, a large male migrant hawker swooped down in front of my windscreen.

Its lovely to see these big impressive beasties - but I can't help wondering what sort of a mess of a summer (like us) they've had.

I really hope next year gives us "better" weather than this.... because I think its not just us humans that feel like they need a summer now  -  just as BST ends!

And I pondered this thought as rather than the motorway, I took countryside back roads back to the house (all 17 miles of them), scattering cock pheasants into the ditches and hedges as I went...