East Blean is a wood I have been visiting for several years now and it’s easy for me to look back on pictures from previous years and know exactly when to make visits and be fairly confident of seeing the spring flowers at their best. I also know the woods fairly well by now so I know exactly the best places to go too.

There was an awful lot going on with home improvements and decorating during this springtime so it wasn’t always easy to get to the woods as often as I would have liked, but if the weather was kind and I could get away from what was happening at home I would do just that. Judging by the amount of pictures I have sorted through from March and April I really did make the most of every opportunity I had.

Of course, with spring flowers everything has its time, albeit a very short one. The Lesser Celandines, Wood Anemones and Primroses start the show. Then there is Bluebell time, which for me has a magic all of its own. Because it only happens for such a short time each year it’s something that is always very special. Sometimes if you are lucky the flowers occasionally all seem to be flowering at the same time, which is just wonderful to see. No two springs are ever the same but it’s always exciting and uplifting when you visit.

Another thing that always delights me is what I call “green fairy lights” time. It’s that time when the Beech trees burst into leaf and just for a few days the leaves are so small and with the sunlight on them in a certain way they remind me so much of little green lights. I have tried many times to capture this on my camera, But I’m still not sure I have quite got it and I now have to wait all the way until next May before I get my next chance.

I must say it’s impossible for me to write about each trip to the woods individually: far better for the pictures to speak for themselves. I certainly had a lot of fun though. First of all finding out what my lovely Nikon 105 macro lens could do with all those flowers. Then I was very lucky and had a Sigma 10-20 lens for my birthday and I’m certain I’m only just starting to understand what I’ll be able to achieve with that lens but I’m delighted with the results I have from my visits to the woods.

Of course the spring season runs into the summer and very soon I’m back visiting the woods, this time for the butterflies. All the normal woodland butterflies are in good numbers there but the highlight for butterflies at East Blean has to be the emergence each year of the Heath Fritillaries: a protected species due to how scarce they are. At East Blean and other woods in the Blean complex they do well as the wood is managed with extensive coppicing each year which encourages their food plant, Common Cow Wheat, to grow in the clearings.

 

Please note that comments are moderated and may take some time to appear

Name

Email (will not be published)

Website

Title

Comment

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment