Waresley Wood Spring is Here!

 This year is one of those where all the spring flowers have ended up in bloom at the same time! Ellie and I were going birdwatching at Fowlmere but the roads out of Toft in that direction all had closed signs so we headed for Waresley Wood - I said too early for Bluebells but we found them fully out along with all the other spring flowers (Wood Anemone, Celandine, Primrose, Oxlip, Dog Violet and Greater Horsetail) though no Early Spotted Orchids were found. Very bright sunlight and an 800mm - not recommended for flower photography but certainly gave some different views. Final image of a mating pair of Bee Flies - first time I have seen them coupled in flight but only got in focus as they landed.

Waresley Wood Bluebells and Other Spring Flowers

Although there are a lot fewer areas of dense Bluebells to previous years, mainly due to the very vigorous Dog's Mercury growth in open areas, there are some dense areas. Today's early cloudy and periodically wet weather was ideal to record the delicate  blue colour. Later we had some sunny intervals which picked out the heads of the Early Purple Orchids (around 50 counted)  and single Bluebells well. I couldn't resist photographing a very impressive Cowslip plant and the Giant Horsetails in the meadow.

 

Soft Focus Spring Flowers

Generally photographers spend a lot of time trying to get maximum depth of field and very sharp focus so it was fun photographing Bluebells etc with an old lens (Olympus 50mm manual f1.8 lens from my original film camera system) attached to a modern digital body working wide open and shooting into the light or with foliage very close to the lens (work in progress).

 

Hardwick Wood

 A very enjoyable walk right round Hardwick Wood this afternoon with Ann and Mike. Quite a lot of Bird song including Cuckoo, ChiffChaff, Nuthatch, Gt Spotted Woodpecker etc and all the expected spring flowers - here a selection of shots (Bluebell,Wood Anemone, Primrose, Oxlip, Celandine). The area that was coppiced this year and then fenced off has wonderful large Oxlips while many in the open wood have been nibbled off, presumably by Muntjac Deer. Quite a few large White and Speckled Wood butterflies on the wing. 

Bluebells and Yellow Fields

Waresley wood was very busy this morning for our CCC Wednesday Workshop outing and, once we got parked and in the woods, we could see why:- the Bluebells are extra good this year. Fewer Oxlips, wood anemones or orchids but the smell and sight of the Bluebells made up for this. The blue of the flowers is so dependent on the light conditions - cyan out of the sun and almost purple in the sun. Not so keen on the smell of the Rape which is turning lots of fields yellow.