What's in store?

[saxonaxe]

A few hours wander today under clear blue skies and in warm sunshine, it's easy to be fooled I guess and it is only mid January but...
The wood is sunlit and silent and seems to be holding it's breath.

http://i.imgur.com/nwdATWll.jpg

Earlier I had walked along the shore and noticed that the flooded wetland was empty of the usual winter visitors.

http://i.imgur.com/ALQ7HQel.jpg

As I walked past the adjoining plough land the sky turned black and white with wheeling Lapwings (Peewits locally)

http://i.imgur.com/nIMGzNJl.jpg

And the Ivy on nearby bushes was being de-berried (is that a word?..;) ) by flocks of Wood Pigeons who were feeding in the sunshine.

http://i.imgur.com/qzIzcXml.jpg

I seem to remember we had snow here last March, but winters grip is slipping I think..:D :D

[headshot]

dont speak to soon,i'm seeing more signs of spring everyday but we still got 3 months of potential winter weather...i look forward to autumn/winter but now i cant wait till spring...atb kev

[ratcatcher]

can you access your woods by foot, or is it a drive in?
ours gets a little muddy this time of year


http://youtu.be/r07KbUczekI

[saxonaxe]

Crikey! That looks a bit damp along there Ratcatcher..:D
I'm lucky in that respect, there is a fairly hard surface private drive from the public road to a farm where I can leave my 4x4. From there it's about 40 minutes cross country on foot through a big private estate wood to my area of woodland which is about central in the larger wood. So no vehicle access and no tracks to get muddy, but lot's of backpacking supplies in, which I'm happy to do. Except for some areas my wood is gently sloping so drainage to the boundry stream is excellent.

http://i.imgur.com/tk8LRm9l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/s9AB08Wl.jpg

[FishyFolk]

You talk of spring, and here winter has hardly started. Still 4-5 months maybe more untill the snow is off the ground :-)

[saxonaxe]

:) Even here in the far South we may still get some cold, maybe snow before Spring really arrives. But lately the days have been mild, it's 16.30 and the temperature on deck on my boat is 10 C still. Probably be frozen into the river next week now I've mentioned it.. ;) ;)

[JonnyP]

Nice pics :0)
I have been laying a hedge just down our lane. I have seen celandines out in leaf as well as other wild plants popping their heads up. Also the little red flowers on some of the hazel I have been laying. And we have had daffodils out in flower on our drive for about 2 weeks now. Are we gonna get a Winter..?

[alvino78]

great pics, that woods looks awesome