My first wet morning rounds in I’m not sure how long, with fat raindrops splattering down into puddles and streaming along paths in the woodland – I watched a curled Sycamore leaf whirl and turn like a toy boat most of the way from ‘Rest and Admire’ down to the Holm Oak grove.
In the gloom of the woodland, raindrops patter down onto the dense canopy of Holm Oak leaves, making it feel a bit like being in a tent! Last winter’s tree work has revealed some fine examples of Black Pine – some planted at George Burt’s request – others, their offspring, which gave this path it’s original name – the ‘Pinecliffe Walk’.
We have also opened up gaps in the canopy here and there, bringing light to smaller Oaks and Hawthorns (and allowing me to glimpse a few patches of sky). Near the Beech glade, the bright white fruit of Snowberry (another Victorian planting) gleam out from the murk like constellations.
As the rain eases a little, in Long Meadow, a grey morning is enlivened by the bright crimson and green plumage of a Green Woodpecker, bobbing across the field as if bounced on a piece of elastic!
Still plenty of colour among the bronze grasses in the meadow, including the bold golden flowers of Fleabane and fluffy plumes of Ladies Bedstraw, white Wild Carrot and the similarly shaped, but unrelated Yarrow. Rich purple Greater Knapweed is still in flower, long with lots of the prickly-leaved Bristly Ox-tongue and Ragwort – all important late nectar sources (though few insects on the wing this morning!).
The hedges are also full of colour, with bright pink Spindle berries catching my eye, along with heavy ropes of shiny Bryony berries, Blackberries (ranging from hard and green to soft and black), ruddy Hawthorn berries, dusty midnight blue Sloes and lots of Rosehips.
Look out for the piles of purple Badger poo, where they have been gorging on Blackberries!
As I sit and write, the rain has faded to drizzle and 3 Chiffchaffs are darting in and out of the scrub in front of me.