We walked in Yarner Wood at the weekend, a woodland nature reserve that seems to be off the beaten track as far as tourists are concerned.

It’s a haven for birders (which I believe is the preferred term for watchers of birds), and there’s a feeding station as well as hundreds of nesting boxes, all carefully numbered so that each pair of birds can remember their address, or perhaps so they can receive post, presumably by air mail.

The bare trees gave the place a certain atmosphere, and it was incredibly peaceful. Lottie enjoyed it, and we even encountered a small group of Dartmoor ponies wandering the tracks. They were eating holly leaves, so they must have hardy digestive systems. The one pictured below was wearing a collar that I think must be a radio tracking device. I’m not sure if anyone owns this group of ponies or if they roam wild, but the site is run by English Nature, so I presume the ponies are protected.

We also spotted, in the distance, a grand house that would make the perfect location for a murder mystery. Sign in to see it below.

I hope you like the photos.

To comment on the photos, please sign in. Registration is free. Thanks.

Spotted in the distance – a perfect place for a murder mystery.

Mrs C and me.

Comments are always welcome.

To see other featured photos on the site, please visit the Featured Photos category,