My World Tuesday

It was a fine, frosty morning yesterday but as the day grew up so the sun shone warmly. Our walk was a delight - the bluest of blue skies, the sweetest of bird songs and fresh, clean air to breathe. 

The waxing gibbous moon shone palely, surprised at its eminence in the sunshine.

There are a number of new ponds in the forest. 

They were dug out recently, in the last couple of weeks, so the surrounding ground still bears the scars carved in it by the heavy diggers and has yet to recover. The mallards are quick to discover new waterways. We see these drakes every year. They usually accompany a single duck but she was nowhere to be seen.

Book ends, anyone?

Preening is important. A chap's got to look his best!

Aircraft flew high above, little sound audible in the clear atmosphere.

This one is a British Airways aircraft. How do I know? The BA fleet is the only one whose planes have blue undersides.

 Vapour trails dispersed quickly, an indication of a fine day in prospect.

There had been some logging. The smell of pine resin was quite intoxicating.

Strange fruit in a Scots Pine. Can you see it?

Have a closer look . . . No?

There, now! It looks like an apple or maybe an orange. Odd! 

I wasn't with Barry on the day this fruit 'ripened'. 

 It is usually to be seen in a Labrador's mouth. 

Yes, it's a Kong - the orange thing, not Gus!

The one in the tree? Barry threw it rather enthusiastically and it caught in the branches. So it hangs, being tested by the elements. I wonder how long it will remain there. The Labradors are clever and persistent but tree climbing is not one of their skills - not to twenty feet, anyway.

This is the retrieval ground to which they are accustomed . . . 

 . . . or this, though this is not strictly 'ground'!

Thanks go to the My World Tuesday team who organise and host this weekly meme. Please click here to see other worlds.

My World Tuesday - Wildmoor Heath

It may sound like something from Wuthering Heights but Wildmoor Heath rarely looks threatening and thunderous. An area of mixed woodland, heath and bog, it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, one of three SSSIs within walking distance of our house. The Nature Reserve covers 99 hectares (just over 244½ acres) We took the dogs there yesterday, the first time we’ve visited for about a year. Between March and September rare birds breed on the lowland heath and dog walkers are asked to keep their dogs on leads or away from possible nesting sites.

We started and finished our walk through areas of tall, old sweet chestnut trees. 

The ground was littered with the prickly husks of chestnuts, some with two to four nuts still inside, others empty. It's a good idea to wear a hat at this time of year as the nuts regularly fall from the trees!

Many areas of the forest are grazed by Highland cattle and ponies and are fenced and accessed by kissing gates, stiles or weighted swinging gates. At the end of this ride there is a padlocked gate to allow access to forest maintenance vehicles. A pedestrian weighted gate is adjacent to it. This worried Gus, so he scrambled through a hole in the fence. By the time we had completed our walk he had become accustomed to following us through these strange devices. 

The next part of the forest was dominated by silver birches. Jenna and Gus didn't mind where they were so long as they could play. Frodo was at my side as usual, but enjoying all the sniffs.

First Jenna had the kong . . .

. . . then Gus carried it.

Shortly afterwards we went through another gate into a boggy area. A notice informed us that livestock were grazing in this part but though we saw signs that they had been there we didn't see any of them. On the right there is evidence of the fire last year that destroyed much of the habitat of Silver-studded Blue butterflies. It was believed that the butterflies would not have survived but a few males and females were observed and thus fears were allayed.

There’s a great deal of water . . .

 . . . which Gus and Jenna thoroughly appreciated. Frodo went in for a cooling paddle too.

The water table is very high – in places it is higher than the board walk but contained within a bog system . . .

. . . and draining into ditches.

Passing through yet another gate we walked alongside a fenced-off body of water, full of interest for botanists and entomologists. It gives way to heath and heather where roe deer are safe from questing dogs, although the deer easily leap the low fences and can be seen anywhere in this part of Berkshire.To the other side were puddles and ponds, all of which had to be splashed in by the dogs.

Simple benches are placed at various places, some overlooking valleys, others positioned to allow people to watch the world go by.

Boards are laid down at strategic points where the ground becomes very soggy. Wires are criss-crossed over the boards to give grip.

Out into more open countryside again we were struck once more by the colours. There are many shades of green and the bracken is mostly brown now. 

The leaves are beginning to change as they lose their chlorophyll and allow the reds and yellows to show.

The heather that was so vibrant just a short while ago has lost most of its colour. With the young Scots pine saplings and the tall bracken it is a wonderful place for Labradors to practise their retrieving skills . . .

 . . . and everywhere the spiders set their larders. 

Thanks go to the My World team for organising and hosting this meme. To see more corners of this wonderful world please click here.
I'm also linking to Watery Wednesday as this is quite a 'wet' post! Thank you to 2sweetnsaxy

Today’s Flowers #94 Scots Pine

Who leaves the pine-tree, leaves his friend,

Unnerves his strength, invites his end.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

(I pinched this quotation from Brian Johnston's site, linked below, because I liked it!)

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

We saw these cones as we finished our walk the other afternoon and I asked Barry to photograph them. I thought they were developing cones.

In fact, when I started researching, I discovered (on Brian Johnston's most informative site)that these are male pollen-producing cones. I shall be looking for females next time we go past some Scots pines!

There's such a lot still to learn!

Thank you to the Today's Flowers team for their work each week, organising and hosting this meme. Click here to see more flowers across the world.