Go West Young Man

We decided to have a change today and head west over to Bradley and Dixon't Woods rather than the usual Horsefield walk.  It was again a cloudless morning as I walked down to the doctor's for my warfarin blood test, Heather joining me when I had finished my appointment.  We continued to the edge of the village before setting out over the fields to Bradley Gairs wood.  I was looking forward to this excursion as I knew that the wood anemones had been out for a couple of weeks, bluebells were appearing and I also hoped for more early purple orchids.  From this side of the village we were able to look out over the coastal marsh to the Lincolnshire Wolds.  We commented that we could see a wood on one of our favourite walks in the Wolds: Stock Furlong.  We love the way that we can pick this wood out from many places, including the P&O ferry when we are sailing over to Zeebrugge or Rotterdam.  The bright, vivid yellow of the fields of oilseed rape could be seen dotted all the way to the Wolds.

As soon as we entered Bradley Gairs we found violets, stitchwort and swathes of bluebells; thankfully English and not Spanish.  As we left the wood we were pleased to find plenty of early purple orchids.  We crossed Bradley Road and wandered down the farm track for a quarter of a mile before turning right and heading towards Bradley Woods themselves.  Once in Bradley we followed the perimeter path enjoying the spectacle of wood anemones, violets, stitchwort, bluebells and orchids carpeting the woodland floor.  

Stopping to photograph the wood anemones we then crossed the road and continued on the perimeter path around Dixon's wood, floristically just as spectacular.  I was highly delighted to come across a common male fern (Dryopteris felix-mas), having burst out of it's knuckle and the fronds beautifully unfurling.  This is one of my favourite wild life photography subjects - I just think that it so beautiful.  I am also fascinated by the knuckle of the fern, looking like a closed fist just before the fronds beginning to uncurl.  Interestingly I wrote down relatively few birds; I think with it being so windy bird song was not so noticeable.

All too soon it was time to leave the wood and head back across the fields and home for lunch.  All told we had walked 6 miles and were ready for a sit down.

• Great Tit
• Blue Tit
• Blackbird
• Chaffinch
• Wren
• Robin
• Crow
• Skylark

• Violet
• Greater Stitchwort
• Bluebell
• Wood Anemone
• Cow Parsley
• White and Red Dead Nettles
• Wild Arum or Lords and Ladies
• Starwort in the ditch after leaving Dixon's

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Bluebell

Bluebell

Early Purple Orchid

Early Purple Orchid

Early Purple Orchid

Early Purple Orchid

Wood Anemone

Wood Anemone

Male Fern

Heading towards Bradley Gairs

Bradley Gairs

Bradley Gairs

Bradley Gairs

Looking over rape to Bradley Woods

Bradley Woods

Bradley Woods

Dixon's Wood

Dixon's Wood

Dixon's Wood

Dixon's Wood

Dixon's Wood

Dixon's Wood

Dixon's Wood

Leaving Dixon's Wood

Leaving Dixon's Wood

Leaving Dixon's Wood

Spring in Bradley Woods

On Easter Monday we decided to take Jet for a walk round Bradley Woods as I was keen to see how the bluebells were doing.  I was sorry to have missed them in Rather Heath wood where we keep our caravan at Ashes Lane.  They were a picture here in 2016 as this blog post shows.  However the best display of bluebells I have ever seen was in North Yorkshire last year in Newton Wood at Great Ayton with Roseberry Topping in the background during our Cleveland Way campaign.  The images are in this blog post.

Having said that those in Bradley Woods were putting on a grand show and when in amongst them the hyacinth scent (of which they are a member) was truly evocative.  The woods were looking really spring-like with wood anemones continuing to put on a good show, lesser stichwort, lesser celendines and pleasing numbers of early purple orchids looking their best.

Dog Walking in Bradley Woods

A short walk around Bradley Woods today in order to walk Jet.  I couldn't resist some more images of the old chicken sheds; just as well as I notice that they appear to be preparing them for demolition and building on the site.  At home, I enjoyed playing in photoshop to add a texture layer.

Bluebells, Wood Anemones and Jet Walking

It was our day to walk Jet today so, as the weather was really good we decided to head out into the Wolds to walk from Beesby, visiting Bradley Woods first to photograph the wood anemones.  It was the perfect time for them and the woods were carpeted with their nodding, pink-tinged, white blossoms.  We began out walk in Beesby wood where we hoped for bluebells.  This is the best local wood I know for these flowers and they were just coming into their prime, along with carpets of wood anemones.  The badger set here is always interesting to check out.  There was plentiful evidence of activity in this large sett which was good to see.  We walked along the top of the wood and then dropped into the valley to follow the path through the Valley Wood.  Frome here the route took us along the road a short way to the outskirts of Wold Newton and then back over the wold past Stock Furlong wood and back to the car.  We had an excellent sighting of a green woodpecker flying up from the roadside along the Barton Street, which was pleasing.

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