February flora and fauna in South Somerset. A stroll on the fringe of Ilminster with my camera.

At the start of February I went for an afternoon stroll without my camera.  Needless to say I saw something interesting, a great spotted woodpecker, within range of my 300mm lens, but as I said – no camera!

On the 6th I took another stroll in Dillington Park Drive on the eastern fringe of Ilminster in South Somerset, and had my camera with me, but no woodpeckers this time.  However, there were quite a number of squirrels around and one stayed still long enough for me to take a photo.

As usual there was a lot of evidence of badger setts, and signs of fresh digging beside, and over, Sustrans’ cycle track.

Evidence of badgers at work alongside the Sustrans cycle track through Dillington Park in South Somerset

In Dillington Park itself the leafless branches of the oak and beech trees made an interesting photo, one of the trees is dead and its white bark stood out against the blue sky.

Dead or dying oak or beech in Dillington Park, South Somerset.

More squirrels were scampering around on the ground beneath a huge evergreen holm oak - if my tree recognition is correct - the branches of which were almost touching the ground.


I have been reading Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of The Baskervilles and recalled Dr Watson’s sighting of hart's tongue ferns as he journeyed by wagonette with Sir Henry and Dr Mortimore along the banked Devonshire country road leading to Baskerville Hall.  On my return along Dillington Park Drive, which is steeply banked in places, such ferns were a common sight.

Hart's tongue ferns in Dillington Park Drive, South Somerset.

Not a lot of colour in the photos I took that day, but the weather was quite tranquil – the lull before the arrival of Storm Ciara!