Re-exploring the patch

In the last few days I've taken slightly different routes to re-visit some local haunts, and thoroughly enjoyed the sense of exploration!

On Thursday, we headed off to Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes on the beautiful New Forest coast. Although it was half-term, and certain spots were a bit busy with families, we encountered relatively few people on most of the walk from The Chequers Inn to The Gun Inn. Both are lovely pubs, but on this occasion, time was against us so we had lunch in the Gun. Next time Chequers!

It started off a bit drizzly and misty, but this soon blew (!) away, to leave great views across the marshes towards the Isle of Wight. The dark-bellied brent geese are now back from their summer spent in northern Russia, with their babbling and honking filling the air as we passed by them. The vast majority of this race are found on the South coast, so it's a bit of a speciality. We also saw and heard turnstones, curlew, redshank, shelduck, little egret, lapwing and a variety of other birds too far for the naked eye - I'd forgotten my binoculars!!

Yesterday we battled our way passed road closures to Blashford Lakes near Ringwood. These flooded gravel pits are now a haven for waterfowl - this time I'd brought my binoculars! the hides were very busy with lots of twitchers, so we didn't stay too long, instead preferring to amble in the sun, but we did see pochard, heron, lots of cormorants (as per usual), egret, little grebe, tufted duck, gadwall and teal. We skirted the edge of the New Forest by walking on Rockford common (part of the Northern Commons owned by the National Trust), with fantastic views back down towards the lakes, and passing some amazing old trees. I'd not done this particular loop before - definitely one for the future.



This morning we headed off to the Woodford Valley - picturesque and traditional, villages lined with thatched cottages and beautiful views to the River Avon. We started off on the Monarch's Way long distance footpath (the same one that runs through Grovely Woods and Clarendon Park), crossing the Avon, running alongside some ancient hedgerows filled with spindle and field maple (ancient hedgerow indicator species), then looping around into the Devenish reserve. This is a small piece of very steep chalk downland, beech woodland and wood pasture, owned and managed by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The beech leaves were not yet at their best, but the view from the top across the valley is stunning. My eye was caught by a small tuft of purple - knapweed still flowering at the end of October! It's certainly been very mild.



Finally, I managed the usual loop in Grovely Woods this afternoon - the avenue of beeches is always beautiful, but with the delicate golds and oranges starting to come through, providing a rich rustly carpet, it was very atmospheric. Let's hope the colours continue to develop before all the leaves are blown off by winter storms!

Death and decay?

This is how I have previously referred to autumn - doesn't really quite do it justice, and in recent years I've come to look forward to this season of change.

I'm not long back from a lovely few days up North - the Lake District and Scottish Highlands visiting friends - and although it was a bit of a whistle-stop tour, we did manage to exalt (!) in the amazing scenery.

It certainly makes the South seem very busy and flat! However, I'm still so lucky to have some amazing places right on my doorstep. It being the foraging season, we headed off to Langley Wood NNR for a potter and possible chestnut foraging. The fungi were diverse and beautiful, with the leaves on the magnificent beeches, oaks and sweet chestnuts just beginning to turn. Not at their rufous best yet, so a future visit required.

It was, however, the peak time to collect chestnuts! This year definitely seems to be a mast year (hardly death and decay!)- where all the trees produce lots of fruit/nuts to create a population boom of predators, only for next year to not produce anything and cause a massive population crash. This means the trees can put less energy into successfully reproducing whilst their predators (insects mostly) slowly build their populations. Cunning! 

So make the most of this year's bounty (even if it means risking life and limb dodging falling spiky chestnut cases falling around you, or spending hours preparing the damn things!), as next year is probably going to be fairly rubbish!

Walking with the Devil

What with holidays, visiting friends, and various craft fairs, I've not had too much time to explore the local patch, but I corrected that on Monday.

I'd been working in Blandford all day, which meant that the drive home took me passed Martin Down NNR, which I feel I've been neglecting this year. It's Devil's Bit Scabious season - just when you think the summer is over, and the glorious flowery colour is fading to dried husks of a myriad of many-shaped seedheads, up pops this spectacle.

It's purply-blue cluster of flowers is usually found on unimproved grassland, sometimes in the wetter patches in fens, other time on drier, chalk banks. Many species depend on it - for a late-season nectar source, as well as a food plant for the caterpillars of the marsh fritillary butterfly (another rarity). Oh, and it's so named because of the very short rootstock, allegedly bitten off in a devilish plot - who comes up with these things?!

The peak of the flowering season for this species is in September, so get out there while you can and see this last reminder of summer before autumn really takes hold.