The day for our walk began deceptively warmer, grey but rainless. We parked in the pub carpark where we were met by Alice’s long-time university friend Pattie. Alice, our leader for the day, provided us all with a photocopied map of the area for our walk, highlighting the river or watery bits in blue crayon to make it clearer for us. These maps proved useful (to me anyway) showing the paths, the woodlands and open/field areas, - particularly helpful to me as our group separated in two later.
We set off down the tarmac path by the river/canal on our left. A thrush had welcomed us in the car park, and we were to hear other bird calls through the morning. We could see the woodland across the river and the trees on either side of our path beginning to come into leaf: many had catkins: eg crack and goat willow. I didn’t notice alder. We stopped at a couple of hides/viewing places that looked over a lake on our right – the weather at this point had changed to a cold, hard wind with rain to boot. BEES folk are fortunately up to it. The wildfowl on the water was not numerous but we saw mute swan, tufted duck, coot, greylag and Canada geese and a pair of great crested grebe. Listening and observing we heard blackcap, chiffchaff, Cetti’s warbler, wren, dunnock, blackbird, robin – all part of the Spring renewal and re-growth. Further down the path some of us were intrigued by pink tassels that drew our attention to an unfamiliar tree: Box Elder (Acer negundo). This tree is evidently from central and eastern USA and used as an ornamental tree here in the UK. (See photo in the Gallery)
Further down the riverside path we diverted upwards through woodland and by a field and then entering another wood as we looped back towards our starting point. At this stage we were in two parties. The woodland flora had started its Spring bounty, the wood anemones being at their peak, the bluebells beginning to flower. Other flowers to note were Yellow Archangel, Wild Arum, Lesser Celandine, White Dead Nettle, Dog’s Mercury, Early flowering and Wood Forget-me-not, Goldilocks Buttercup, Red Campion, Wood or Early Dog Violet and Common Dog Violet, Ground Ivy. We also saw Hoof Fungus growing on a fallen tree. The weather cheered up and we were able to enjoy the views as we returned to the pub and the welcome warm drinks before our journey home. Alice, as usual, has kept, and made, a full record of all the flowering plants we saw that day.
Madeleine