Yesterday we took a local walk through Hem Heath Woods which is looked after by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.
Lots of trees have been taken down over the last few months due to Ash die back.
Some parts of the wood were looking quite open and bare especially until the leaves appear on the trees. There was lots of bird song though. With the help of Merlin we heard Robins, Nuthatch, Blue tit, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Wren and Crow.
We walked as far as the pond where we spotted just one solitary duck before heading back.
The sun was shining but suddenly it disappeared and it became colder, the birds stopped tweeting. This was about 10.30 am. Was this change due to the partial eclipse I heard about on the news?
By the time we reach the end of the wood where the bluebells grow it was sunny again. There will be lots of bluebells later this year but I hadn't seen any Wood Anemone or Lesser Celandine as we walked. The Wood Anemones in our garden are flowering at the moment so it is time for them.
It was time for coffee and we'd parked at Wedgwood so we popped into their shopping area for coffee and cake.
Lovely, that sounds just my kind if outing! Funnily enough they've been cutting the cmaller trees around here too although I'm not sure if they are Ash. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you CK. There has been lots of tree felling all over recently, sometimes it's ash die back but I think lots of trees became unstable during that weekend storm we had in December last year and many have been taken down for safety:)
DeleteA nice walk, and so interesting about the sudden dark and the birds not singing.
ReplyDeleteThe coffee and cake sounds like a perfect end to your outing. And that flower display is so pretty!
Thank you Granny Sue it was a nice gentle walk with a treat at the end. A few years ago we experienced a full eclipse and watched with our backs towards it through a home made pin hole camera, everything went dark and quiet and very still then too - quite eerie:)
DeleteA lovely walk and I love that flower display :) I remember years ago when we went to Cornwall to see a total eclipse the birds started going to roost! So a partial one may well have an effect.
ReplyDeleteThank you Caroline, I'm sure the change was to do with partial eclipse as it happened so quickly. I loved the display of flowers:)
DeleteIt sounds like a lovely walk, followed up by coffee and cake that would hit the spot. I remember during an eclipse that the birds began singing their nighttime songs. I hadn't, until that point, realized that they sing different songs morning and night.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lorrie, that's fascinating about the bird song being different in the morning and at night, I've learned something new today:)
DeleteGreat walk & Spring will soon have it look so different. On catchup once more. Take care & hugs.
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DeleteThank you Susan, yes, Spring is finally on the way, good to see you here. Take care:)