Sunday 2 April 2017

Rivers and wildflowers

Spring is really starting to hot up now - and quite literally! Last Sunday it was about 19 degrees - perfect for our post-Mothering Sunday meal walk along the Itchen Navigation.

Although busy, we were able to enjoy the beautiful river (actually a canal created for barging produce up from Southampton) and associated wildlife - the gnarly old trees overhanging the water were beautiful in particular. The banks were festooned with blackthorn blossom and celandines - gorgeous.

On Friday I called it a day from work early and headed up to Clarendon park - the ruins of the old hunting lodge were being weeded as I passed by, llamas looking on, and crossing into the ancient woodland. Here, I found toothwort (parasitic plant on hazel), primroses, wood anemone, dogs mercury and violets. All the while accompanied by skylarks, chiffchaffs, and a bullfinch. 

And I've just got back from a delightful day in the Test valley, walking parts of the Test Way and surrounding arable fields, including Harewood forest and it's beautiful ancient woodland flowers. I love this time of year - bluebells were just starting to come up so I'm hoping for a brilliant spectacle in a couple of weeks' time.







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