Last Friday we explored a path along the River Tay looking for signs of the famous beavers, and yes, we did find some sharp-toothed twig snippage. I collected a couple of willow sticks and stripped the bark for a look at the beavers’ favourite food. The Spring wood is sappy and the bark peels off easily. I was astonished by the colour of the inner bark. Will it stay this amazing lime-green as it dries out?

The bark smells sweet but it doesn’t taste so good. I made a length of cordage and tried biting off the loose ends, they were pretty bitter. Finished the tidy-up with scissors!