Every time I go down to the field to feed the ponies, I enjoy the birdsong in the woods. This morning, a cock blackbird sang on a low branch rather than his usual treetop, and I listened entranced. Further away in the woods, I could hear another bird…
Lois Wakeman Posts
I hope H E Bates will forgive me for purloining the title of his bucolic novel for my current piece. Hawthorn or may (Crataegus monogyna) is the third star in my spring play – first, blackthorn – second, gean – and now it’s time for the densely packed…
A quick walk to see the last of the bluebells on my way to the shops today. Whilst much of the population was glued to their TVs watching the Royal Wedding, I was wandering happily in the sunshine through a sea of fragrant blue, and admiring all the…
Every so often, I come across the remains of a buzzard kill. The edge of our stream seems to be a favoured spot. We have a pair of buzzards who nest locally, and their favourite prey seems to be the wood pigeon. I’ve heard the chick(s) calling for…
“Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide.”– A E Housman – A Shropshire Lad One of my favourite snatches of poetry, dedicated to the wild cherry or gean (Prunus avium), and not…
One of the few densely wooded hills in this part of the world, this is a wonderful spot to visit in May, when the woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells and ferns, and the tree canopy is just bursting into fresh leaf. It’s a bit of a hike…
I’ve noticed the grazing marks of limpets on the sea defences before, but today was struck by the small grazed areas higher up. On inspection, these proved to be small bubbles in the concrete that were colonised by tiny periwinkles, several in each bubble, and each with its…
Whenever I visit East Beach in Lyme Regis, I am always tempted to pick up bits of pottery, glass and metal from the town dump. As a result, I now have kilos of the stuff piled in the office, and although I have plans to use it, I’m…
After months of cold, wet and gloom, today was the first warm sunny day of the year. Combined with a spring low tide, this was the perfect opportunity for a seaside walk. I’ve visited Seaton many times, but never at such a low tide, which revealed a wave-cut…