A walk in the wood

Those of you who are not familiar with my blog may not realise we are lucky enough to own a 3 acre wood as part of our smallholding.

So, I thought it would be good to take you on a walk with me, into the wood

Walking into the wood, past swathes of wild daffodils.

Over where the badger path crosses ours, and to where they go down and then up the ditch that runs all the way down the middle of the wood, bisecting it from top to bottom

Back up from the bottom of the wood past yet more wild daffodils

Can you see Compost Mansions in the image, above?

Back to the top of the wood looking across to the composting area and the outside raised beds

Some wild daffodils I picked while we were out in the wood

Easter Monday walk in the wood

Well we had a BIG storm blow through here last night, so today I went down to the wood to check if any trees had fallen over.

No big trees but a lot of branches down and some smaller trees.

The wild daffodils are now spectacular. I think this year is the best display I have seen in the 19 years we have lived here!

Lots of badger activity

Yes more wild daffodils!

Bluebells are also starting to show themselves :) And primroses

Spring has definitely sprung here in Herefordshire!!

Come on a Bluebell walk with me :)

 @moorswood #bluebells

After some heavy rain we had a break in the clouds so a walk in the wood called.
Wellies on, raincoat donned, so off we go! Down into the wood past the hens who were not impressed I did not let them out to join us.

This patch of bluebells had been rolled on by something - maybe a badger? or maybe just the rain beating them down. Who knows?

There is a very large patch near the log circle  which looks stunning in a shaft of sunlight breaking through the trees above.

No fire lit today, lets have a sit and listen to the bird song; can you hear the Cuckoo calling and the Green woodpeckers drumming?

The leaves are opening in the canopy; soon it will be dim and cool and green down in the log circle with dappled shade and patches of sunlight.

More blue, such a wonderful scent!

Wild honeysuckle - Dormice use it to make nests like little woven basket cups


Looking back up towards the house

That patch of blue is getting nearer...

Lots growing on the ground level - here with the Bluebells are Ivy and Herb Robert - a very "aromatic" plant! it grows in the polytunnel and is very stinky strong smelling.

More and different ferns are slowly moving into the wood

And back to the house, pausing to let out the hens and collect eggs.

The bluebells are much earlier this year - I looked back through my photos yesterday and realised they were out like this on 20 May in 2013! Delayed due to the very cold winter we had in 2012 - 2013 I suspect.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed a virtual walk in the wood with me.

April

April has come in with a damp and dull start, not sure if that has any significance other than being dull? I was really hoping for more good weather as I want to get on with the veg garden.

Compostman dug over some of it today, so I now have somewhere to plant out the broad beans. he has prepared the onion patch so when we next get some dry weather I will lay down some compost and wood ash and get planting onion sets. I have quite a few already growing in modules in the polytunnel along with onions grown from seed so I am trying lots of different methods this year.



The cockerels continue to crow at random and early hours of the morning - or even middle of the night - last night Blondin was crowing at 2 am! I think I am going to have to re home at least one of them as the pair of them sit and crow at each other, sometimes they crow in unison, just for a change :)


After I was woken by Blondin last night I got out of bed and tripped over Tabitha Cat; she was fine but I wrenched my right arm and it now hurts. Ow. A shame as I wanted to get on with clearing up the path down to the log circle in the wood, but my arm hurts too much and the rain is horrible so I won't be doing that today.

 
I had another walk down and around the wood and admired the daffodils, no bluebells yet but some lovely primroses and the start of the wild garlic - yum!

I also spent a fair amount of time listening to the Buzzards calling as they wheeled and soared overhead.
I then went and hid from the rain for a bit inside of the polytunnel and potted up some plants and had a tidy round.

I have a poorly Compostgirl at home, she had to be collected from school yesterday and has been sick several times and is not a happy bunny :(. Lots of bed rest is in order but I suspect we will watch a film, later.

No April Fools , here- I did not see any really good ones this year - anyone spotted a cracker?

A walk around the wood.

Updated as a result of a couple of emails tonight -  for those who may not realise, this is a walk in our wood and so I was picking our own wood daffodils, growing on our land - picking wild flowers from anywhere , if you don't own the land, is not a good thing.  Picking them even if you do is to be discouraged imo!

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I still feel pretty rough  but it was such a lovely day I decided to go for a gentle walk around the wood. I wrapped up warm (my teeth and sinuses are really hurting) and went out side.

As always my faithful companion Cassi Cat came with me on my walk

The wild daffodils are out in some parts of the wood but in other, more shady parts they are only just opening.

 I saw LOTS of mole activity

 

And in the Log Circle I found an Owl pellet on one of the logs - if you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see small bones and fur.

Camouflage Cat!

 Coming up the hill from the wood towards where the pool used to be, you can see the sun shining on the tops of the willow trees, making them glow.

I don't normally pick flowers as I like to see them growing but these woodlands daffodils were knocked over by a fallen branch so into the house they came with me :-) So pretty!

I only spent about 45 minutes wandering around but that, and feeding the hens, left me so worn out that I had to go and sit down for a few hours. I am catching up with lots of crochet and recorded TV programmes, though.

Hopefully I will shake off this virus soon.