Yesterday was my first visit since lockdown and how much it has changed. I arrived early, eager to have a good look around and absorb the vitality of the woods. It’s a different place to what it was two months ago. At first it was like discovering a new woodland, there was an unfamiliarity about it that at times disoriented me. The colours so vibrant and the clarity of the air seemed to make every shape seem crystal clear. The wood was full of birdsong and I spotted a couple of nest boxes had blue tits popping in and out, feeding their young.

The pond looked somewhat stagnant. We have had a run of weeks of dry weather and the level had dropped about three inches. I topped it up from the water barrel which was still full. The beech trees around it make it a very dark area which is not ideal for a pond, so it may never be a particularly thriving place for pond creatures but it is serving the bird population as a place to drink and bathe. I couldn’t spot anything living in it.

I didn’t intend doing much work but couldn’t resist retrieving and stacking a few more logs from the winter’s felling sessions. It was just so good to be back in there and now that we have been given more freedom to drive and exercise, I shall aim to start more regular visits and maybe an odd camping over-nighter.

Ash dieback disease is raising it’s ugly head again. In the past few years it has tended to show up in mid summer rather than spring but here’s a sapling showing typical symptoms – healthy new shoots suddenly wilting and drooping, later turning almost black. There are a number of still healthy saplings around so I’m hoping some will show resilience to resist the disease. I can’t help feeling a kind of sympathetic link to the species as our human one also faces a devastating disease at the moment.

There’s not much more I can tell you about the day so I’ll just add some more photos to show how lush and green and beautiful nature is right now. My local short walks through woodlands and riversides recently has certainly helped me through this horrible situation we find ourselves in, so get out there and enjoy it, you will feel better for sure.