My walks with the longdogs are getting longer and longer, especially now the summer has really arrived. Here I am with my son at the end of May on one of our new walks. Coots were nesting along the edge of these lakes, building their nests out of bent reeds. We saw three sets of chicks hatch successfully and later on the nesting swans produced six healthy signets. In this picture the dogs have just gone on the lead as a trio of roe deer were heading off in the distance and had caught their attention - you can see them looking off longingly in the distance. In the spring the young deer head off to find new territories of their own and you see a lot of them crossing between the fields. We alternate our walks between the seasons so that the dogs can get time off the lead without disturbing the local wildlife. I walked this track with them yesterday and we were passed by 12 horses and their riders. The hounds just gave them a casual look as they cantered by!
