Spring Comes to Bel's Wood 2024

I find myself willing time to slow down as we move into spring. I love to look at the skeletal trees on the skyline opposite the wood. While responding with excitement to the new leaves emerging I feel a pang of loss of winter.



As the days have lengthened I have heard the bird song increase and become more insistent. And then the first queen bumblebees emerged looking for their nests. The willow is always first with its catkins and bumble and honeybees flock there.


      


The camera was triggered by nothing that appeared on screen 
but I have included as the bird song is caught nicely so sound on for this one


The gorse does fabulous work at this time of year being abundant and the yew trees are flowering now too which is leading to a buzz in the air.

 
                        Gorse                                                                     Yew


Then the blackthorn came into bloom and the first cherry blossom has just appeared.

    
                          Blackthorn                                                        Wild cherry


Violets are scattered more widely this year and have been showing for a while but I don’t seem to be able to take a photo of them in focus! The first wood sorrel have just appeared as well.


                           Violet                                                                Wood sorrel

I gave myself a day looking around and doing a bit of tree planting outside the major planting of purchased trees (as a break from laying mulch mats as a reward for getting  3,000 down). I have had a peak under the tree spirals to see what is happening there. I shouldn’t be surprised of course but having received these saplings as dry, dead looking twigs only a few months ago the thrill of seeing them emerge in their differing leaf shapes and height will fascinate me for a long time to come.


                                Wild cherry                                                  Willow

                                Field Maple                                                         Downy Birch

 
    
                         Aspen                                                              Spindle 

I also checked up on those trees I planted last April and am pleased with progress. Three of the 4 black walnuts are producing leaves; the wayfaring trees are coming into leaf. I can only find one yew tree out of the eight planted but I may have mislaid a few as they were teeny tiny and don't have tree guards.


                Black Walnut                                                     This Ash planted itself in my garden & my friend
                                                               Tina planted it for me - so it is called Tash!



I have been donated trees (3 horse chestnut, 2 black poplar), I’ve raised some from seeds (rowan, crab apple and oak) and then there are those that have self seeded that I had ‘captured’ where they sprouted and now needed to be moved to their long term home.


                    New home for a horse chestnut                      Rowan - I am keeping in pots this year



I plant these next year where any trees fail. 
I just hope I can keep them watered over the summer while in pots



One of the damson trees planted in the orchard last spring has produced blossom to join the celebration in the Lyth Valley with Damson Day on 13th April http://www.lythdamsons.org.uk/images/Damson%20Day%20flyer2.jpg






I have mostly been observing wild life that has crossed my eye line on the mulch mats!


                      Violet Ground Beetle.                                          Tiger Moth Caterpillar


I went on the hunt for what was new in the areas I haven’t visited for a while. I call this area the Graveyard. (I found a sheep skeleton when I first got to know the land and with the number of fallen trees and dank darkness that felt like a good name for it.)



 Well this week it is vibrant with colour.


                          Celandine coming into flower                     Wild strawberry


                            Opposite leaved golden saxifrage (the first time I have spotted this flower here.





And then I saw the first bluebell of the year at the wood to finish off an exciting exploration.


Back to laying mats with the last 1,200 to do before the gorse appears (I meant bracken but both need dealing with!) so my head will be down again but I will keep an eye on the colours, sounds and smells appearing all around me.









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