NATURE'S GREAT SURPRISES
- 11 Jun 07, 10:35 AM
I'm discovering that woodlands are like a lucky dip, an intriguing outdoors bran tub to explore, revealing their treasure trove of botanical bounty across the seasons. For Shared Earth we've been visiting and recording in a listener's woodland that he purchased in Spring 2006. We're keen in the series to know how our listeners are getting involved with wildlife. Taking on a woodland is a big commitment involving a lot of time and effort, but beyond buying your own wood there's lots of ways to get involved with community woodland projects on your own doorstep.
This particular wood in Gloucestershire we first saw in its stark winter beauty in early January - even then we were being gently teased by interesting hints and signs of what may appear later in the year so we've just recently returned. As you would expect the wood's barely recognisable now with every tree in full leaf and much of the woodland floor shaded out. Along the edges of the rides and more open areas in the wood are where it gets really interesting.
Brett Westwood, our reporter, and naturalist Harry Green were very quickly able to reel off an endless list of fascinating woodland plants that we could see around us, Herb Paris, Hemp Agrimony, Hairy St John's Wort, Enchanter's Nightshade - plants of myth and legend. It's been great to help introduce the wood's owners to the botanical tenants now in their care. Our main reason for returning this month was to see whether a certain type of orchid had returned - we had spotted last year's dried stalks in January but wanted to see it in full flower. Crunching through the leaf litter, a hushed silence fell amongst us as we eagerly scanned the woodland floor, it felt like we were tracking some rare beast in the undergrowth…and then….well, we not only had a bit of a surprise on that particular floral front but the wood almost seductively winked and a few paces on revealed yet another of its little gems…but you'll have to wait until the programme is broadcast on Friday 15th June at 3pm on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4 to find out what that might be!
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Yesterday morning at around 7.45am i was walking my dog down in the lower end of the Hatherleigh Market car park. Just ahead of me there were two large (arounf 20" - 24" high) they both had red beaks one ws light speckled grey and the other red/brown they had fairly long legs with great big round bodies. I don't know what these birds were and as I didn't have a camera on me I was unable to tak ea picture. they were not frightened of me even though I had the dog with me but kept themselves a good distance (20yards) away. I believe they were some sort of water bird and the nearest my bird books have is the moorhen although I know what these look like and they were not moorhen. Can anyone help.
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A cliff hanger!!!!!!!!!!! They won't let me listen at work... will you tell us on the blog next time you post?
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