Wintry East Blean | - Click on the image above to view gallery
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If you would like to see more pictures taken at East Blean in 2008 click the following link. |
 Icy footpath I have walked and taken photos in the woods at East Blean more times than I can remember and have pictures covering every season including winter but I’d never managed a visit there when there was very much snow on the ground mostly because we rarely get any significant snowfall. We’ve had a really cold spell of weather to start the new year in fact the temperature hadn’t risen much above 1 degree for well over a week and we’d had a small dusting of snow in Sandwich where we live, that had all but disappeared so I wasn’t that hopeful in finding that much snow at all in the woods which is about 12 miles away from home. What I found though was just about enough to enjoy crunching my way through where it had frozen overnight. It was horrid powdery snow though no good whatsoever for making a snowman or even a snowball for that matter believe me I tried. It’s always nice walking in the woods in the winter time as you can see the birds so much easier as they busy themselves trying to find things to eat. As soon as I arrived I was greeted by a very friendly Robin in the car park all fluffed up against the cold. I immediately found him some of my sandwiches. What in the end became almost spooky though is every different part of the wood I walked through there was a different Robin, it was like there was always one watching me! A lot of my sandwiches were left in places for them to find once I’d gone past I also got great views of Long Tailed Tits and a lovely Goldcrest too but they move so fast and are not still for a second its hard to get a picture of them.  Winter Silver Birches  Coppiced Beech trees
When I go for a walk at East Blean I tend to follow much the same route through the extensive woods and it takes me through many different areas including an area of coppicing where in the summer time you are likely to see the Heath fritillary butterflies. Then a particular favourite area of mine is some Oak trees where there is a pile of logs I often sit on to eat my lunch. I did so and was soon joined by yet another Robin.
 Friendly Robin I continued my usual route and in places where the trees weren’t too congested there seemed to be a nice lot of snow on the ground to make fresh footprints in Its always so nice when you’ve walked in snow how its cleans up your boots too. Being on heavy clay I usually come home very dirty from my walks in the woods. Back at the car park and once more I was greeted by the very fat looking Robin I’d met when I arrived. I’d just got a small amount of my crusts left that I’d been saving for him and I left them on the posts where he posed for me once more. It’s amazing how brave the birds get when the weather is so cold but I was still amazed at just how many I saw and heard during my walk. I’d certainly enjoyed my wintry walk in the woods and as always I know I will return as there is always something new to see.
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Regards Gary ...