Treasure hunting

We wrapped up warm and headed off for a treasure hunt this morning on Whiteleaf Hill and Brush Hill. It was a family event organized by the Chiltern Society and we all had a great time. We split up into groups and with the help of a volunteer, we collected as much treasure as we could find.

It was a cold and frosty morning, but the sun was shining

The kids disappeared to find a twig from a lime tree

 The sheep were out in the field, so we tried to count them. The farmer took them away later in the morning, as they'd finished their work keeping the grass short.

 



Looking 'sheepish'!

We discovered we have a baby birder in our midst - he's very happy when he has a pair of binoculars to look through.

We heard a woodpecker drumming in the woods and saw a kestrel fly past and land in a nearby bush.

A kestrel

The kestrel watched us from a nearby bush

Then we headed back to the meeting point to have a look at all of our discoveries, which included an impressive assortment of leaves, flower heads, mosses, lichens, snail shells, fungi, cones, beech masts, ferns, wool, etc.