Nearly all of the trees are in leaf now, with the exception of a few Ash which are usually the last species. Below the canopy, Bluebells can be found scattered throughout the undergrowth – mostly the usual blue/violet colour but also with some white and pinkish-lilac coloured variants as well.
Three-Corned Leek and Wild Garlic are also in flower. They can be seen in great swathes across Sunnydale, topped with a dusting of their white flowers. Somewhere amongst the Garlic, you can just spot the ‘Shakspeare’ bench which sits nestled amongst the undergrowth. The other two benches are surrounded in towering Cow Parsley which stands nearly as tall as me!
Many of the trees have blossomed including a beautiful display from an Apple tree on the coast path. Wayfaring tree and Hawthorn ‘Mayflower’ are adorned in clusters of pretty white flowers, also the Black Pines are covered in strobili which are more similar to cones than flowers.
I venture to a secret location in the woods where a Tawny Owl chick sits in a tree. After initially being found close to a path, I’ve been checking on the owlet in the mornings to see if it’s still being fed by its parents.
This morning the chick appears alive and well. The ball of white fluff has its first brown feathers coming through, and clacks its beak together upon hearing my presence nearby.
All of a sudden, Wrens, Robins, and Blackbirds break into a frenzy of alarm calls. I actually felt my heart-rate increase, before realising what was must be causing the commotion. I look up towards the canopy and sure enough, the beady eyes of an adult Tawny Owl glares directly towards me. I snap a quick photo before making speedy exit.